Configuring Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Advanced STP Features

Chapter 8
Configuring Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
and Advanced STP Features
The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) eliminates Layer 2 loops in networks, by selectively blocking some ports and
allowing other ports to forward traffic, based on global (bridge) and local (port) parameters you can configure.
This chapter describes how to configure Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) parameters on HP ProCurve Routing
Switches.
This chapter also describes advanced Layer 2 features that enable you to overcome limitations in the standard
802.1d Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). These are the advanced features:
• Fast Port Span
• Fast Uplink Span
• Single-instance STP
• SuperSpan
• STP per VLAN group
• Per VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST) and PVST+ Compatibility
Configuration procedures are provided for the standard STP bridge and port parameters as well as advanced STP
parameters.
• To configure standard STP parameters, see “Configuring Standard STP Parameters”.
• To configure advanced parameters, see “Configuring Advanced STP Features” on page 8-19.
Configuring Standard STP Parameters

HP Routing Switches support standard STP as described in the IEEE 802.1D specification. STP is disabled by
default on Routing Switches.
By default, each port-based VLAN on an HP device runs a separate spanning tree (a separate instance of STP).
An HP device has one port-based VLAN (VLAN 1) by default that contains all the device’s ports. Thus, by default
each HP device has one spanning tree. However, if you configure additional port-based VLANs on an HP device,
then each of those VLANs on which STP is enabled and VLAN 1 all run separate spanning trees.
If you configure a port-based VLAN on the device, the VLAN has the same STP state as the default STP state on
the device. On Routing Switches, new VLANs have STP disabled by default. You can enable or disable STP in
each VLAN separately. In addition, you can enable or disable STP on individual ports.
8-1
Installation and Basic Configuration Guide
STP Parameters and Defaults

Table 8.1 lists the default STP states for HP devices.
Table 8.1: Default STP States
Default STP Type Default STP State Default STP State

of New VLANsa
MSTP Disabled Disabled
a.When you create a port-based VLAN, the new VLAN’s

STP state is the same as the default STP state on the
device. The new VLAN does not inherit the STP state of
the default VLAN.
Table 8.2 lists the default STP bridge parameters. The bridge parameters affect the entire spanning tree. If you
are using MSTP, the parameters affect the VLAN. If you are using SSTP, the parameters affect all VLANs that are
members of the single spanning tree.
Table 8.2: Default STP Bridge Parameters
Parameter Description Default and Valid Values
Forward Delay The period of time a bridge will wait (the listen and learn 15 seconds
period) before beginning to forward data packets.
Possible values: 4 – 30
seconds
Maximum Age The interval a bridge will wait for a hello packet from the 20 seconds
root bridge before initiating a topology change.
seconds
Hello Time The interval of time between each configuration BPDU 2 seconds
sent by the root bridge.
seconds
Priority A parameter used to identify the root bridge in a 32768

spanning tree (instance of STP). The bridge with the
lowest value has the highest priority and is the root.
A higher numerical value means a lower priority; thus,
the highest priority is 0.
NOTE: If you plan to change STP bridge timers, HP recommends that you stay within the following ranges, from
section 8.10.2 of the IEEE STP specification.
2 * (forward_delay -1) >= max_age
max_age >= 2 * (hello_time +1 )
8-2
Configuring Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Advanced STP Features
Table 8.3 lists the default STP port parameters. The port parameters affect individual ports and are separately
configurable on each port.
Table 8.3: Default STP Port Parameters
Parameter Description Default and Valid Values
Priority The preference that STP gives this port relative to other 128
ports for forwarding traffic out of the spanning tree.
A higher numerical value means a lower priority; thus,
(configurable in increments
the highest priority is 8.
of 4)
Path Cost The cost of using the port to reach the root bridge. When 10 Mbps – 100
selecting among multiple links to the root bridge, STP
100 Mbps – 19
chooses the link with the lowest path cost and blocks the
other paths. Each port type has its own default STP path Gigabit – 4
cost.
10 Gigabit – 2
Possible values are 0 –
65535
Enabling or Disabling the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

You can enable or disable STP on the following levels:
• Globally – Affects all ports on the device.
• Port-based VLAN – Affects all ports within the specified port-based VLAN. When you enable or disable STP
within a port-based VLAN, the setting overrides the global setting. Thus, you can enable STP for the ports
within a port-based VLAN even when STP is globally disabled, or disable the ports within a port-based VLAN
when STP is globally enabled.
• Individual port – Affects only the individual port. However, if you change the STP state of the primary port in a
trunk group, the change affects all ports in the trunk group.
Enabling or Disabling STP Globally

Use the following methods to enable or disable STP on a device on which you have not configured port-based
VLANs.
NOTE: When you configure a VLAN, the VLAN inherits the global STP settings. However, once you begin to
define a VLAN, you can no longer configure standard STP parameters globally using the CLI. From that point on,
you can configure STP only within individual VLANs.
USING THE CLI

To enable STP for all ports in all VLANs on an HP device, enter the following command:
HP9300(config)# spanning-tree
This command enables a separate spanning tree in each VLAN, including the default VLAN.
Syntax: [no] spanning-tree
USING THE WEB MANAGEMENT INTERFACE
1. Log on to the device using a valid user name and password for read-write access. The System configuration
panel is displayed.
2. Select Enable next to Spanning Tree.
8-3
NOTE: For information about the Single and Fast checkboxes, see “Single Spanning Tree (SSTP)” on
page 8-62 and “Fast Uplink Span” on page 8-21.
3. Click Apply to save the changes to the device’s running-config file.

4. Select the Save link at the bottom of the dialog. Select Yes when prompted to save the configuration change
to the startup-config file on the device’s flash memory.
Enabling or Disabling STP in a Port-Based VLAN
Use the following procedure to disable or enable STP on a device on which you have configured a port-based
VLAN. Changing the STP state in a VLAN affects only that VLAN.
USING THE CLI
To enable STP for all ports in a port-based VLAN, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config)# vlan 10
HP9300(config-vlan-10)# spanning-tree

You cannot enable or disable STP on individual VLANs using the Web management interface.
Enabling or Disabling STP on an Individual Port
Use the following procedure to disable or enable STP on an individual port.
NOTE: If you change the STP state of the primary port in a trunk group, the change affects all ports in the trunk
group.
USING THE CLI

To enable STP on an individual port, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config)# interface 1/1
HP9300(config-if-1/1)# spanning-tree

You cannot enable or disable STP on individual ports using the Web management interface.
Changing STP Bridge and Port Parameters

Table 8.2 on page 8-2 and Table 8.3 on page 8-3 list the default STP parameters. If you need to change the
default value for an STP parameter, use the following procedures.
Changing STP Bridge Parameters
To change STP bridge parameters, use either of the following methods.
NOTE: If you plan to change STP bridge timers, HP recommends that you stay within the following ranges, from
section 8.10.2 of the IEEE STP specification.
2 * (forward_delay -1) >= max_age
max_age >= 2 * (hello_time +1 )
USING THE CLI

To change an HP device’s STP bridge priority to the highest value to make the device the root bridge, enter the
following command:
8-4
HP9300(config)# spanning-tree priority 0
The command in this example changes the priority on a device on which you have not configured port-based
VLANs. The change applies to the default VLAN. If you have configured a port-based VLAN on the device, you
can configure the parameters only at the configuration level for individual VLANs. Enter commands such as the
following:
HP9300(config-vlan-20)# spanning-tree priority 0
To make this change in the default VLAN, enter the following commands:
Syntax: [no] spanning-tree [forward-delay <value>] | [hello-time <value>] | [maximum-age <value>] | [priority
<value>]
The forward-delay <value> parameter specifies the forward delay and can be a value from 4 – 30 seconds. The
default is 15 seconds.
NOTE: You can configure an HP device for faster convergence (including a shorter forward delay) using Fast
Span or Fast Uplink Span. See “Configuring Advanced STP Features” on page 8-19.
The hello-time <value> parameter specifies the hello time and can be a value from 1 – 10 seconds. The default
is 2 seconds.
NOTE: This parameter applies only when this device or VLAN is the root bridge for its spanning tree.
The maximum-age <value> parameter specifies the amount of time the device waits for receipt of a hello packet
before initiating a topology change. You can specify from 6 – 40 seconds. The default is 20 seconds.
The priority <value> parameter specifies the priority and can be a value from 0 – 65535. A higher numerical
value means a lower priority. Thus, the highest priority is 0. The default is 32768.
You can specify some or all of these parameters on the same command line. If you specify more than one
parameter, you must specify them in the order shown above, from left to right.
To modify the STP parameters:
panel is displayed.
2. Click on the plus sign next to Configure in the tree view to display the configuration options.
3. Select the STP link to display the STP bridge and port parameters.
8-5
4. Click the Modify button in the STP bridge parameters table to display the STP configuration panel, as shown
in the following example. If the device has multiple port-based VLANs, select the Modify button next to the
VLAN on which you want to change the parameters. A dialog such as the following is displayed.
5. Modify the bridge STP parameters to the values desired.

6. Click Apply to save the changes to the device’s running-config file.
Changing STP Port Parameters
To change STP port parameters, use either of the following methods.
USING THE CLI
To change the path and priority costs for a port, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config-vlan-10)# spanning-tree ethernet 1/5 path-cost 15 priority 64
Syntax: spanning-tree ethernet <portnum> path-cost <value> | priority <value> | disable | enable
The ethernet <portnum> parameter specifies the interface.
The path-cost <value> parameter specifies the port’s cost as a path to the spanning tree’s root bridge. STP
prefers the path with the lowest cost. You can specify a value from 0 – 65535.
The default depends on the port type:
• 10 Mbps – 100
• 100 Mbps – 19
• Gigabit – 4
• 10 Gigabit – 2
The priority <value> parameter specifies the preference that STP gives this port relative to other ports for
forwarding traffic out of the spanning tree. You can specify a value from 8 – 252, in increments of 4. If you enter a
8-6
value that is not divisible by four the software rounds to the nearest value that is. The default is 128. A higher
numerical value means a lower priority; thus, the highest priority is 8.
NOTE: The range in software releases earlier than 07.5.04 is 0 – 255. If you are upgrading a device that has a
configuration saved under an earlier software release, and the configuration contains a value from 0 – 7 for a
port’s STP priority, the software changes the priority to the default when you save the configuration while running
the new release.
The disable | enable parameter disables or re-enables STP on the port. The STP state change affects only this
VLAN. The port’s STP state in other VLANs is not changed.
To modify the STP port parameters:
panel is displayed.
2. Click on the plus sign next to Configure in the tree view to display the configuration options.
4. Click the Modify button in the STP port parameters table to display the STP configuration panel, as shown in
the following example. If the device has multiple port-based VLANs, select the Modify button next to the
VLAN on which you want to change the parameters. A dialog such as the following is displayed.
5. Select the port (and slot if applicable) from the Port and Slot pulldown lists.
6. Enter the desired changes to the priority and path cost fields.
7. Click Apply STP Port to apply the changes to only the selected port or select Apply To All Ports to apply the
changes to all the ports.
NOTE: If you want to save the priority and path costs of one port to all other ports on the device or within the
selected VLAN, you can click the Apply To All Ports button.
8-7
Displaying STP Information

You can display the following STP information:
• All the global and interface STP settings
• CPU utilization statistics
• Detailed STP information for each interface
• STP state information for a port-based VLAN
• STP state information for an individual interface
Displaying STP Information for an Entire Device

To display STP information for an entire device, use either of the following methods.
USING THE CLI
To display STP information, enter the following command at any level of the CLI:
HP9300# show span
VLAN 1 BPDU cam_index is 3 and the Master DMA Are(HEX)
STP instance owned by VLAN 1
Global STP (IEEE 802.1D) Parameters:
VLAN Root Root Root Prio Max He- Ho- Fwd Last Chg Bridge
ID ID Cost Port rity Age llo ld dly Chang cnt Address
Hex sec sec sec sec sec
1 800000e0804d4a00 0 Root 8000 20 2 1 15 689 1 00e0804d4a00
Port STP Parameters:
Port Prio Path State Fwd Design

Designated Designated
Num rity Cost Trans Cost

Root Bridge
Hex
1 80 19 FORWARDING 1 0
800000e0804d4a00 800000e0804d4a00
2 80 0 DISABLED 0 0
0000000000000000 0000000000000000
3 80 0 DISABLED 0 0
0000000000000000 0000000000000000
4 80 0 DISABLED 0 0
0000000000000000 0000000000000000
5 80 19 FORWARDING 1 0
800000e0804d4a00 800000e0804d4a00
6 80 19 BLOCKING 0 0
800000e0804d4a00 800000e0804d4a00
7 80 0 DISABLED 0 0
0000000000000000 0000000000000000
<lines for remaining ports excluded for brevity>
Syntax: show span [vlan <vlan-id>] | [pvst-mode] | [<num>] |

[detail [vlan <vlan-id> [ ethernet <portnum> ] | <num>]]
The vlan <vlan-id> parameter displays STP information for the specified port-based VLAN.
The pvst-mode parameter displays STP information for the device’s Per VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST+)
compatibility configuration. See “PVST/PVST+ Compatibility” on page 8-75.
The <num> parameter displays only the entries after the number you specify. For example, on a device with three
port-based VLANs, if you enter 1, then information for the second and third VLANs is displayed, but information for
the first VLAN is not displayed. Information is displayed according to VLAN number, in ascending order. The
entry number is not the same as the VLAN number. For example, if you have port-based VLANs 1, 10, and 2024,
then the command output has three STP entries. To display information for VLANs 10 and 2024 only, enter show
span 1.
8-8
The detail parameter and its additional optional parameters display detailed information for individual ports. See
“Displaying Detailed STP Information for Each Interface” on page 8-14.
The show span command shows the following information.
Table 8.4: CLI Display of STP Information
This Field... Displays...
Global STP Parameters
VLAN ID The port-based VLAN that contains this spanning tree (instance of
STP). VLAN 1 is the default VLAN. If you have not configured port-
based VLANs on this device, all STP information is for VLAN 1.
Root ID The ID assigned by STP to the root bridge for this spanning tree.
Root Cost The cumulative cost from this bridge to the root bridge. If this device
is the root bridge, then the root cost is 0.
Root Port The port on this device that connects to the root bridge. If this device
is the root bridge, then the value is “Root” instead of a port number.
Priority Hex This device or VLAN’s STP priority. The value is shown in
hexadecimal format.
Note: If you configure this value, specify it in decimal format. See
“Changing STP Bridge Parameters” on page 8-4.
Max age sec The number of seconds this device or VLAN waits for a hello message
from the root bridge before deciding the root has become unavailable
and performing a reconvergence.
Hello sec The interval between each configuration BPDU sent by the root
bridge.
Hold sec The minimum number of seconds that must elapse between
transmissions of consecutive Configuration BPDUs on a port.
Fwd dly sec The number of seconds this device or VLAN waits following a
topology change and consequent reconvergence.
Last Chang sec The number of seconds since the last time a topology change
occurred.
Chg cnt The number of times the topology has changed since this device was
reloaded.
Bridge Address The STP address of this device or VLAN.

Note: If this address is the same as the Root ID, then this device or
VLAN is the root bridge for its spanning tree.
Port STP Parameters
Port Num The port number.
Priority Hex The port’s STP priority, in hexadecimal format.

“Changing STP Port Parameters” on page 8-6.
Path Cost The port’s STP path cost.
8-9
Table 8.4: CLI Display of STP Information (Continued)
State The port’s STP state. The state can be one of the following:
• BLOCKING – STP has blocked Layer 2 traffic on this port to
prevent a loop. The device or VLAN can reach the root bridge
using another port, whose state is FORWARDING. When a port
is in this state, the port does not transmit or receive user frames,
but the port does continue to receive STP BPDUs.
• DISABLED – The port is not participating in STP. This can occur
when the port is disconnected or STP is disabled on the port.
• FORWARDING – STP is allowing the port to send and receive
frames.
• LISTENING – STP is responding to a topology change and this
port is listening for a BPDU from neighboring bridge(s) in order to
determine the new topology. No user frames are transmitted or
received during this state.
• LEARNING – The port has passed through the LISTENING state
and will change to the BLOCKING or FORWARDING state,
depending on the results of STP’s reconvergence. The port does
not transmit or receive user frames during this state. However,
the device can learn the MAC addresses of frames that the port
receives during this state and make corresponding entries in the
MAC table.
Fwd Trans The number of times STP has changed the state of this port between
BLOCKING and FORWARDING.
Design Cost The cost to the root bridge as advertised by the designated bridge that
is connected to this port. If the designated bridge is the root bridge
itself, then the cost is 0. The identity of the designated bridge is
shown in the Design Bridge field.
Design Root The root bridge as recognized on this port. The value is the same as
the root bridge ID listed in the Root ID field.
Design Bridge The designated bridge to which this port is connected. The
designated bridge is the device that connects the network segment on
the port to the root bridge.

To display STP information:
1. Log on to the device using a valid user name and password for read-only or read-write access. The System
configuration panel is displayed.
2. Click on the plus sign next to Monitor in the tree view to display the monitoring options.
8 - 10
Table 8.5: Web Management Display of STP Information
STP Bridge Parameters (global parameters)
VLAN ID The port-based VLAN that contains this spanning tree (instance of
STP). VLAN 1 is the default VLAN. If you have not configured port-
based VLANs on this device, all STP information is for VLAN 1.
Root ID The ID assigned by STP to the root bridge for this spanning tree.
Root Cost The cumulative cost from this bridge to the root bridge. If this device
is the root bridge, then the root cost is 0.
Root Port The port on this device that connects to the root bridge. If this device
is the root bridge, then the value is “Root” instead of a port number.
Priority This device or VLAN’s STP priority. The value is shown in

hexadecimal format.
“Changing STP Bridge Parameters” on page 8-4.
Max Age The number of seconds this device or VLAN waits for a hello message
from the root bridge before deciding the root has become unavailable
and performing a reconvergence.
Hello Time The interval between each configuration BPDU sent by the root
bridge.
Hold Time The minimum number of seconds that must elapse between
transmissions of consecutive Configuration BPDUs on a port.
Forward Delay The number of seconds this device or VLAN waits following a
topology change and consequent reconvergence.
Topology Last Change The number of seconds since the last time a topology change
occurred.
Topology Change Counter The number of times the topology has changed since this device was
reloaded.
Bridge Address The STP address of this device or VLAN.

Note: If this address is the same as the Root ID, then this device or
VLAN is the root bridge for its spanning tree.
STP Port Parameters
VLAN The VLAN that the port is in.
Port The port number.
Priority The port’s STP priority, in hexadecimal format.

“Changing STP Port Parameters” on page 8-6.
Path Cost The port’s STP path cost.
8 - 11
Table 8.5: Web Management Display of STP Information (Continued)
State The port’s STP state. The state can be one of the following:
when the port is disconnected or STP is disabled on the port.
frames.
MAC table.
Transition The number of times STP has changed the state of this port between
BLOCKING and FORWARDING.
Cost The cost to the root bridge as advertised by the designated bridge that
is connected to this port. If the designated bridge is the root bridge
itself, then the cost is 0. The identity of the designated bridge is
shown in the Design Bridge field.
Root The root bridge as recognized on this port. The value is the same as
the root bridge ID listed in the Root ID field.
Bridge The designated bridge to which this port is connected. The

designated bridge is the device that connects the network segment on
the port to the root bridge.
Displaying CPU Utilization Statistics

You can display CPU utilization statistics for STP and the IP protocols.
8 - 12
USING THE CLI

To display CPU utilization statistics for STP for the previous one-second, one-minute, five-minute, and fifteen-
minute intervals, enter the following command at any level of the CLI:
HP9300# show process cpu
Process Name 5Sec(%) 1Min(%) 5Min(%) 15Min(%) Runtime(ms)

ARP 0.01 0.03 0.09 0.22 9
BGP 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.14 13
GVRP 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
ICMP 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
IP 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
OSPF 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
RIP 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
STP 0.00 0.03 0.04 0.07 4
VRRP 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
If the software has been running less than 15 minutes (the maximum interval for utilization statistics), the
command indicates how long the software has been running. Here is an example:
HP9300# show process cpu
The system has only been up for 6 seconds.
Process Name 5Sec(%) 1Min(%)

5Min(%) 15Min(%) Runtime(ms)
ARP 0.01 0.00

0.00 0.00 0
BGP 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0
GVRP 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0
ICMP 0.01 0.00

0.00 0.00 1
IP 0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00 0
OSPF 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0
RIP 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0
STP 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0
VRRP 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0
To display utilization statistics for a specific number of seconds, enter a command such as the following:
HP9300# show process cpu 2
Statistics for last 1 sec and 80 ms
Process Name Sec(%) Time(ms)
ARP 0.00 0
BGP 0.00 0
GVRP 0.00 0
ICMP 0.01 1
IP 0.00 0
OSPF 0.00 0
RIP 0.00 0
STP 0.01 0
VRRP 0.00 0
When you specify how many seconds’ worth of statistics you want to display, the software selects the sample that
most closely matches the number of seconds you specified. In this example, statistics are requested for the
previous two seconds. The closest sample available is actually for the previous 1 second plus 80 milliseconds.
Syntax: show process cpu [<num>]
The <num> parameter specifies the number of seconds and can be from 1 – 900. If you use this parameter, the
command lists the usage statistics only for the specified number of seconds. If you do not use this parameter, the
command lists the usage statistics for the previous one-second, one-minute, five-minute, and fifteen-minute
intervals.
8 - 13

You cannot display this information using the Web management interface.
Displaying the STP State of a Port-Based VLAN
When you display information for a port-based VLAN, that information includes the STP state of the VLAN. Use
either of the following methods to display port-based VLAN information.
USING THE CLI
To display information for a port-based VLAN, enter a command such as the following at any level of the CLI. The
STP state is shown in bold type in this example.
HP9300(config)# show vlans
Total PORT-VLAN entries: 2
Maximum PORT-VLAN entries: 16
legend: [S=Slot]
PORT-VLAN 1, Name DEFAULT-VLAN, Priority level0, Spanning tree On
Untagged Ports: (S3) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Untagged Ports: (S3) 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Untagged Ports: (S4) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Untagged Ports: (S4) 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Tagged Ports: None
Uplink Ports: None
PORT-VLAN 2, Name greenwell, Priority level0, Spanning tree Off
Untagged Ports: (S1) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Untagged Ports: (S4) 1
Tagged Ports: None
Uplink Ports: None
Syntax: show vlans [<vlan-id> | ethernet <portnum>]

The <vlan-id> parameter specifies a VLAN for which you want to display the configuration information.
The ethernet <portnum> parameter specifies a port. If you use this parameter, the command lists all the VLAN
memberships for the port.
To display STP information for a specific VLAN:
panel is displayed.
2. Click on the plus sign next to Configure in the tree view.
3. Click on the plus sign next to VLAN in the tree view
4. Select the Port link to display configuration information for the device’s port-based VLANs. The STP state is
shown in the STP column.
Displaying Detailed STP Information for Each Interface
To display detailed STP information for individual ports, use the following CLI method.
8 - 14
USING THE CLI

To display the detailed STP information, enter the following command at any level of the CLI:
HP9300# show span detail
======================================================================
VLAN 1 - MULTIPLE SPANNING TREE (MSTP) ACTIVE
======================================================================
Bridge identifier - 0x800000e0804d4a00
Active global timers - Hello: 0
Port 1/1 is FORWARDING
Port - Path cost: 19, Priority: 128, Root: 0x800000e052a9bb00
Designated - Bridge: 0x800000e052a9bb00, Interface: 1, Path cost: 0
Active Timers - None
BPDUs - Sent: 11, Received: 0
Port 1/2 is DISABLED
<lines for remaining ports excluded for brevity>
If a port is disabled, the only information shown by this command is “DISABLED”. If a port is enabled, this display
shows the following information.
Syntax: show span detail [vlan <vlan-id> [ ethernet <portnum> ] | <num>]
The vlan <vlan-id> parameter specifies a VLAN.
The ethernet <portnum> parameter specifies an individual port within the VLAN (if specified).
The <num> parameter specifies the number of VLANs you want the CLI to skip before displaying detailed STP
information. For example, if the device has six VLANs configured (VLAN IDs 1, 2, 3, 99, 128, and 256) and you
enter the command show span detail 4, detailed STP information is displayed for VLANs 128 and 256 only.
NOTE: If the configuration includes VLAN groups, the show span detail command displays the master VLANs
of each group but not the member VLANs within the groups. However, the command does indicate that the VLAN
is a master VLAN. The show span detail vlan <vlan-id> command displays the information for the VLAN even if
it is a member VLAN. To list all the member VLANs within a VLAN group, enter the show vlan-group [<group-
id>] command.
The show span detail command shows the following information.
Table 8.6: CLI Display of Detailed STP Information for Ports
Active Spanning Tree protocol The VLAN that contains the listed ports and the active Spanning Tree
protocol.
The STP type can be one of the following:
• MULTIPLE SPANNNG TREE (MSTP)
• GLOBAL SINGLE SPANNING TREE (SSTP)
Note: If STP is disabled on a VLAN, the command displays the
following message instead: “Spanning-tree of port-vlan <vlan-id> is
disabled.”
Bridge identifier The STP identity of this device.
8 - 15
Table 8.6: CLI Display of Detailed STP Information for Ports (Continued)
Active global timers The global STP timers that are currently active, and their current
values. The following timers can be listed:
• Hello – The interval between Hello packets. This timer applies
only to the root bridge.
• Topology Change (TC) – The amount of time during which the
topology change flag in Hello packets will be marked, indicating a
topology change. This timer applies only to the root bridge.
• Topology Change Notification (TCN) – The interval between
Topology Change Notification packets sent by a non-root bridge
toward the root bridge. This timer applies only to non-root
bridges.
Port number and STP state The internal port number and the port’s STP state.
The internal port number is one of the following:
• The port’s interface number, if the port is the designated port for
the LAN.
• The interface number of the designated port from the received
BPDU, if the interface is not the designated port for the LAN.
The state can be one of the following:
when the port is disconnected or STP is administratively disabled
on the port.
frames.
MAC table.
Note: If the state is DISABLED, no further STP information is
displayed for the port.
Port Path cost The port’s STP path cost.
Port Priority This port’s STP priority. The value is shown as a hexadecimal
number.
8 - 16
Table 8.6: CLI Display of Detailed STP Information for Ports (Continued)
Root The ID assigned by STP to the root bridge for this spanning tree.
Designated Bridge The MAC address of the designated bridge to which this port is
connected. The designated bridge is the device that connects the
network segment on the port to the root bridge.
Designated Port The port number sent from the designated bridge.
Designated Path Cost The cost to the root bridge as advertised by the designated bridge that
is connected to this port. If the bridge is the root bridge itself, then the
cost is 0. The identity of the designated bridge is shown in the
Designated Bridge field.
Active Timers The current values for the following timers, if active:
• Message age – The number of seconds this port has been
waiting for a hello message from the root bridge.
• Forward delay – The number of seconds that have passed since
the last topology change and consequent reconvergence.
• Hold time – The number of seconds that have elapsed since
transmission of the last Configuration BPDU.
BPDUs Sent and Received The number of BPDUs sent and received on this port since the
software was reloaded.
Displaying Detailed STP Information for a Single Port in a Specific VLAN

Enter a command such as the following to display STP information for an individual port in a specific VLAN.
HP9300(config)# show span detail vlan 1 ethernet 7/1
Port 7/1 is FORWARDING
Port - Path cost: 19, Priority: 128, Root: 0x800000e052a9bb00
Designated - Bridge: 0x800000e052a9bb00, Interface: 7, Path cost: 0
Active Timers - None
BPDUs - Sent: 29, Received: 0
Syntax: show span detail [vlan <vlan-id> [ ethernet <portnum> ] | <num>]

The detailed display is not supported in the Web management interface.
Displaying STP State Information for an Individual Interface
To display STP state information for an individual port, you can use the methods in “Displaying STP Information
for an Entire Device” on page 8-8 or “Displaying Detailed STP Information for Each Interface”. You also can
display STP state information for a specific port using either of the following methods.
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USING THE CLI

To display information for a specific port, enter a command such as the following at any level of the CLI:
HP9300(config)# show interface ethernet 3/11
FastEthernet3/11 is up, line protocol is up
Hardware is FastEthernet, address is 00e0.52a9.bb49 (bia 00e0.52a9.bb49)
Configured speed auto, actual 100Mbit, configured duplex fdx, actual fdx
Member of L2 VLAN ID 1, port is untagged, port state is FORWARDING
STP configured to ON, priority is level0, flow control enabled
mirror disabled, monitor disabled
Not member of any active trunks
Not member of any configured trunks
No port name
MTU 1518 bytes, encapsulation ethernet
5 minute input rate: 352 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec, 0.00% utilization
5 minute output rate: 0 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec, 0.00% utilization
1238 packets input, 79232 bytes, 0 no buffer
Received 686 broadcasts, 0 runts, 0 giants
0 input errors, 0 CRC, 0 frame, 0 ignored
529 multicast
918 packets output, 63766 bytes, 0 underruns
0 output errors, 0 collisions
The STP information is shown in bold type in this example.

Syntax: show interfaces [ethernet <portnum>] | [loopback <num>] | [slot <slot-num>] | [ve <num>] | [brief]
You also can display the STP states of all ports by entering a command such as the following, which uses the
brief parameter:
HP9300(config)# show interface brief
Port Link State Dupl Speed Trunk Tag Priori MAC Name
1/1 Down None None None None No level0 00e0.52a9.bb00
. some rows omitted for brevity
3/10 Down None None None None No level0 00e0.52a9.bb4a
3/11 Up Forward Full 100M None No level0 00e0.52a9.bb49
In this example, only one port, 3/11, is forwarding traffic toward the root bridge.
To display STP information for a specific port, use the same method as the one described in “Displaying STP
Information for an Entire Device” on page 8-8:
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1. Log on to the device using a valid user name and password for read-only or read-write access. The System
configuration panel is displayed.
2. Click on the plus sign next to Monitor in the tree view to display the monitoring options.
Configuring Advanced STP Features

This section describes how to configure the following features:
• Fast Port Span – see “Fast Port Span”
• Fast Uplink Span – see “Fast Uplink Span” on page 8-21
• 802.1W Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP) – see “802.1W Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP)” on page 8-22
• 802.1W Draft 3 RSTP – see “802.1W Draft 3” on page 8-58
• Single-instance STP – see “Single Spanning Tree (SSTP)” on page 8-62
• SuperSpan – see “SuperSpan” on page 8-64
• STP per VLAN group – see “STP per VLAN Group” on page 8-71
• Per VLAN Spanning Tree+ (PVST+) Compatibility – see “PVST/PVST+ Compatibility” on page 8-75
Fast Port Span

When STP is running on a device, message forwarding is delayed during the spanning tree recalculation period
following a topology change. The STP forward delay parameter specifies the period of time a bridge waits before
forwarding data packets. The forward delay controls the listening and learning periods of STP reconvergence.
You can configure the forward delay to a value from 4 – 30 seconds. The default is 15 seconds. Thus, using the
standard forward delay, convergence requires 30 seconds (15 seconds for listening and an additional 15 seconds
for learning) when the default value is used.
This slow convergence is undesirable and unnecessary in some circumstances. The Fast Port Span feature
allows certain ports to enter the forwarding state in four seconds. Specifically, Fast Port Span allows faster
convergence on ports that are attached to end stations and thus do not present the potential to cause Layer 2
forwarding loops. Because the end stations cannot cause forwarding loops, they can safely go through the STP
state changes (blocking to listening to learning to forwarding) more quickly than is allowed by the standard STP
convergence time. Fast Port Span performs the convergence on these ports in four seconds (two seconds for
listening and two seconds for learning).
In addition, Fast Port Span enhances overall network performance in the following ways:
• Fast Port Span reduces the number of STP topology change notifications on the network. When an end
station attached to a Fast Span port comes up or down, the HP device does not generate a topology change
notification for the port. In this situation, the notification is unnecessary since a change in the state of the host
does not affect the network’s topology.
• Fast Port Span eliminates unnecessary MAC cache aging that can be caused by topology change
notifications. Bridging devices age out the learned MAC addresses in their MAC caches if the addresses are
unrefreshed for a given period of time, sometimes called the MAC aging interval. When STP sends a
topology change notification, devices that receive the notification use the value of the STP forward delay to
quickly age out their MAC caches. For example, if a device’s normal MAC aging interval is 5 minutes, the
aging interval changes temporarily to the value of the forward delay (for example, 15 seconds) in response to
an STP topology change.
In normal STP, the accelerated cache aging occurs even when a single host goes up or down. Because Fast
Port Span does not send a topology change notification when a host on a Fast Port Span port goes up or
down, the unnecessary cache aging that can occur in these circumstances under normal STP is eliminated.
Fast Port Span is a system-wide parameter and is enabled by default. Thus, when you boot a device with
software release 06.6.05 or later, all the ports that are attached only to end stations run Fast Port Span. For ports
8 - 19
that are not eligible for Fast Port Span, such as ports connected to other networking devices, the device
automatically uses the normal STP settings. If a port matches any of the following criteria, the port is ineligible for
Fast Port Span and uses normal STP instead:
• The port is 802.1q tagged
• The port is a member of a trunk group
• The port has learned more than one active MAC address
• An STP Configuration BPDU has been received on the port, thus indicating the presence of another bridge on
the port.
You also can explicitly exclude individual ports from Fast Port Span if needed. For example, if the only uplink
ports for a wiring closet switch are Gigabit ports, you can exclude the ports from Fast Port Span.
Disabling and Re-enabling Fast Port Span

Fast Port Span is a system-wide parameter and is enabled by default. Thus all ports that are eligible for Fast Port
Span use it.
To disable or re-enable Fast Port Span, use one of the following methods.
USING THE CLI
To disable Fast Port Span, enter the following commands:
HP9300(config)# no fast port-span
HP9300(config)# write memory
Syntax: [no] fast port-span
NOTE: The fast port-span command has additional parameters that let you exclude specific ports. These
parameters are shown in the following section.
To re-enable Fast Port Span, enter the following commands:

HP9300(config)# fast port-span

1. Log on to the device using a valid user name and password for read-write access.
2. Click the Fast checkbox next to Spanning Tree to remove the checkmark from the box.
3. Click Apply to apply the change to the device’s running-config.
4. Select the Save link at the bottom of the panel. Select Yes when prompted to save the configuration change
Excluding Specific Ports from Fast Port Span

You can exclude individual ports from Fast Port Span while leaving Fast Port Span enabled globally. To do so,
use one of the following methods.
USING THE CLI
To exclude a port from Fast Port Span, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config)# fast port-span exclude ethernet 1/1
To exclude a set of ports from Fast Port Span, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config)# fast port-span exclude ethernet 1/1 ethernet 2/1 ethernet 3/2
To exclude a contiguous (unbroken) range of ports from Fast Span, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config)# fast port-span exclude ethernet 1/1 to 1/24
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Syntax: [no] fast port-span [exclude ethernet <portnum> [ethernet <portnum>… | to <portnum>]]
To re-enable Fast Port Span on a port, enter a command such as the following:
HP9300(config)# no fast port-span exclude ethernet 1/1
This command re-enables Fast Port Span on port 1/1 only and does not re-enable Fast Port Span on other
excluded ports. You also can re-enable Fast Port Span on a list or range of ports using the syntax shown above
this example.
To re-enable Fast Port Span on all excluded ports, disable and then re-enable Fast Port Span by entering the
following commands:
HP9300(config)# no fast port-span
HP9300(config)# fast port-span
Disabling and then re-enabling Fast Port Span clears the exclude settings and thus enables Fast Port Span on all
eligible ports. To make sure Fast Port Span remains enabled on the ports following a system reset, save the
configuration changes to the startup-config file after you re-enable Fast Port Span. Otherwise, when the system
resets, those ports will again be excluded from Fast Port Span.
You cannot exclude individual ports from Fast Span using the Web management interface.
Fast Uplink Span

The Fast Port Span feature described in the previous section enhances STP performance for end stations. The
Fast Uplink feature enhances STP performance for wiring closet switches with redundant uplinks. Using the
default value for the standard STP forward delay, convergence following a transition from an active link to a
redundant link can take 30 seconds (15 seconds for listening and an additional 15 seconds for learning).
You can use the Fast Uplink feature on an HP device deployed as a wiring closet switch to decrease the
convergence time for the uplink ports to another device to just four seconds (two seconds for listening and two
seconds for learning). The wiring closet switch must be an HP device but the device at the other end of the link
can be an HP device or another vendor’s switch. Configuration of the Fast Uplink Span feature takes place
entirely on the HP device.
To configure the Fast Uplink Span feature, specify a group of ports that have redundant uplinks on the wiring
closet switch (HP device) as members of a Fast Uplink Group. If the active link becomes unavailable, the Fast
Uplink Span feature transitions the forwarding to one of the other ports in four seconds. You can configure one
Fast Uplink Span group on the device. All Fast Uplink Span ports are members of the same Fast Uplink Span
group.
NOTE: To avoid the potential for temporary bridging loops, Hewlett-Packard recommends that you use the Fast
Uplink feature only for wiring closet switches (switches at the edge of the network cloud). In addition, enable the
feature only on a group of ports intended for redundancy, so that at any given time only one of the ports is
expected to be in the forwarding state.
Fast Uplink Span Rules for Trunk Groups

If you add a port to a Fast Uplink Span group that is a member of a trunk group, the following rules apply:
• If you add the primary port of a trunk group to the Fast Uplink Span group, all other ports in the trunk group
are automatically included in the group. Similarly, if you remove the primary port in a trunk group from the
Fast Uplink Span group, the other ports in the trunk group are automatically removed from the Fast Uplink
Span group.
• You cannot add a subset of the ports in a trunk group to the Fast Uplink Span group. All ports in a trunk group
have the same Fast Uplink Span property, as they do for other port properties.
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• If the working trunk group is partially down but not completely down, no switch-over to the backup occurs.
This behavior is the same as in the standard STP feature.
• If the working trunk group is completely down, a backup trunk group can go through an accelerated transition
only if the following are true:
• The trunk group is included in the fast uplink group.
• All other ports except those in this trunk group are either disabled or blocked. The accelerated transition
applies to all ports in this trunk group.
• When the original working trunk group comes back (partially or fully), the transition back to the original
topology is accelerated if the conditions listed above are met.
Configuring a Fast Uplink Port Group
To enable Fast Uplink, use one of the following methods.
USING THE CLI
To configure a group of ports for Fast Uplink Span, enter the following commands:
HP9300(config)# fast uplink-span ethernet 4/1 to 4/4
Syntax: [no] fast uplink-span [ethernet <portnum> [ethernet <portnum>… | to <portnum>]]

This example configures four ports, 4/1 – 4/4, as a Fast Uplink Span group. In this example, all four ports are
connected to a wiring closet switch. Only one of the links is expected to be active at any time. The other links are
redundant. For example, if the link on port 4/1 is the active link on the wiring closet switch but becomes
unavailable, one of the other links takes over. Because the ports are configured in a Fast Uplink Span group, the
STP convergence takes about four seconds instead of taking 30 seconds or longer using the standard STP
forward delay.
If you add a port that is the primary port of a trunk group, all ports in the trunk group become members of the Fast
Uplink Span group.
You can add ports to a Fast Uplink Span group by entering the fast uplink-span command additional times with
additional ports. The device can have only one Fast Uplink Span group, so all the ports you identify as Fast Uplink
Span ports are members of the same group.
To remove a Fast Uplink Span group or to remove individual ports from a group, use “no” in front of the
appropriate fast uplink-span command. For example, to remove ports 4/3 and 4/4 from the Fast Uplink Span
group configured above, enter the following commands:
HP9300(config)# no fast uplink-span ethernet 4/3 to 4/4
If you delete a port that is the primary port of a trunk group, all ports in the trunk group are removed from the Fast
Uplink Span group.
You cannot configure the Fast Uplink Span feature using the Web management interface.
802.1W Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP)

HP’s earlier implementation of Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), which was 802.1W Draft 3, provided only a
subset of the IEEE 802.1W standard; whereas the 802.1W RSTP feature provides the full standard. The
implementation of the 802.1W Draft 3 is referred to as RSTP Draft 3.
RSTP Draft3 will continue to be supported on HP devices for backward compatibility. However, customers who
are currently using RSTP Draft 3 should migrate to 802.1W.
The 802.1W feature is supported on all Chassis devices. It provides rapid traffic reconvergence for point-to-point
links within a few milliseconds (0 – 500 milliseconds), following the failure of a bridge or bridge port. This
reconvergence occurs more rapidly than the reconvergence provided by the 802.1D (Spanning Tree Protocol
(STP)) or by RSTP Draft 3.
8 - 22
NOTE: This rapid convergence will not occur on ports connected to shared media devices, such as hubs. To take
advantage of the rapid convergence provided by 802.1W, make sure to explicitly configure all point-to-point links in
a topology.
The convergence provided by the standard 802.1W protocol occurs more rapidly than the convergence provided
by previous spanning tree protocols because:
• Classic or legacy 802.1D STP protocol requires a newly selected Root port to go through listening and
learning stages before traffic convergence can be achieved. The 802.1D traffic convergence time is
calculated using the following formula:
2 x FORWARD_DELAY + BRIDGE_MAX_AGE.
If default values are used in the parameter configuration, convergence can take up to 50 seconds. (In this
document STP will be referred to as 802.1D.)
• RSTP Draft 3 works only on bridges that have Alternate ports, which are the precalculated “next best root
port”. (Alternate ports provide back up paths to the root bridge.) Although convergence occurs from 0 – 500
milliseconds in RSTP Draft 3, the spanning tree topology reverts to the 802.1D convergence if an Alternate
port is not found.
• Convergence in 802.1w bridge is not based on any timer values. Rather, it is based on the explicit
handshakes between Designated ports and their connected Root ports to achieve convergence in less than
500 milliseconds.
Bridges and Bridge Port Roles

A bridge in an 802.1W rapid spanning tree topology is assigned as the root bridge if it has the highest priority
(lowest bridge identifier) in the topology. Other bridges are referred to as non-root bridges.
Unique roles are assigned to ports on the root and non-root bridges. Role assignments are based on the following
information contained in the Rapid Spanning Tree Bridge Packet Data Unit (RST BPDU):
• Root bridge ID
• Path cost value
• Transmitting bridge ID
• Designated port ID
802.1W algorithm uses this information to determine if the RST BPDU received by a port is superior to the RST
BPDU that the port transmits. The two values are compared in the order as given above, starting with the Root
bridge ID. The RST BPDU with a lower value is considered superior. The superiority and inferiority of the RST
BPDU is used to assign a role to a port.
If the value of the received RST BPDU is the same as that of the transmitted RST BPDU, then the port ID in the
RST BPDUs are compared. The RST BPDU with the lower port ID is superior. Port roles are then calculated
appropriately.
The port’s role is included in the BPDU that it transmits. The BPDU transmitted by an 802.1W port is referred to as
an RST BPDU, while it is operating in 802.1W mode.
Ports can have one of the following roles:
• Root – Provides the lowest cost path to the root bridge from a specific bridge
• Designated – Provides the lowest cost path to the root bridge from a LAN to which it is connected
• Alternate – Provides an alternate path to the root bridge when the root port goes down
• Backup – Provides a backup to the LAN when the Designated port goes down
• Disabled – Has no role in the topology
8 - 23
Assignment of Port Roles

At system start-up, all 802.1W-enabled bridge ports assume a Designated role. Once start-up is complete,
802.1W algorithm calculates the superiority or inferiority of the RST BPDU that is received and transmitted on a
port.
On a root bridge, each port is assigned a Designated port role, except for ports on the same bridge that are
physically connected together. In these type of ports, the port that receives the superior RST BPDU becomes the
Backup port, while the other port becomes the Designated port.
On non-root bridges, ports are assigned as follows:
• The port that receives the RST BPDU with the lowest path cost from the root bridge becomes the Root port.
• If two ports on the same bridge are physically connected, the port that receives the superior RST BPDU
becomes the Backup port, while the other port becomes the Designated port.
• If a non-root bridge already has a Root port, then the port that receives an RST BPDU that is superior to those
it can transmit becomes the Alternate port.
• If the RST BPDU that a port receives is inferior to the RST BPDUs it transmits, then the port becomes a
Designated port.
• If the port is down or if 802.1W is disabled on the port, that port is given the role of Disabled port. Disabled
ports have no role in the topology. However, if 802.1W is enabled on a port with a link down and the link of
that port comes up, then that port assumes one of the following port roles: Root, Designated, Alternate, or
Backup.
The following example (Figure 8.1) explains role assignments in a simple RSTP topology.
NOTE: All examples in this document assume that all ports in the illustrated topologies are point-to-point links
and are homogeneous (they have the same path cost value) unless otherwise specified.
The topology in Figure 8.1 contains four bridges. Routing Switch 1 is the root bridge since it has the lowest bridge
priority. Routing Switch 2 through Routing Switch 4 are non-root bridges.
Figure 8.1 Simple 802.1W Topology
Port7 Port8
Routing Switch 1 Routing Switch 2

Bridge priority = 100 Port2 Port2 Bridge priority = 200
Port3 Port3 Port4
Port2 Port3 Port3

Ports on Routing Switch 1

All ports on Routing Switch 1, the root bridge, are assigned Designated port roles.
8 - 24

Port2 on Routing Switch 2 directly connects to the root bridge; therefore, Port2 is the Root port.
Routing Switch 2’s bridge priority value is superior to that of Routing Switch 3 and Routing Switch 4; therefore, the
ports on Routing Switch 2 that connect to Routing Switch 3 and Routing Switch 4 are given the Designated port
role.
Furthermore, Port7 and Port8 on Routing Switch 2 are physically connected. The RST BPDUs transmitted by
Port7 are superior to those Port8 transmits. Therefore, Routing Switch 2 is the Backup port and Port7 is the
Designated port.
Port2 on Routing Switch 3 directly connects to the Designated port on the root bridge; therefore, it assumes the
Root port role.
The root path cost of the RST BPDUs received on Port4/Routing Switch 3 is inferior to the RST BPDUs
transmitted by the port; therefore, Port4/Routing Switch 3 becomes the Designated port.
Similarly Routing Switch 3 has a bridge priority value inferior to Routing Switch 2. Port3 on Routing Switch 3
connects to Port 3 on Routing Switch 2. This port will be given the Alternate port role, since a Root port is already
established on this bridge.
Ports Routing Switch 4
Routing Switch 4 is not directly connected to the root bridge. It has two ports with superior incoming RST BPDUs
from two separate LANs: Port3 and Port4. The RST BPDUs received on Port3 are superior to the RST BPDUs
received on port 4; therefore, Port3 becomes the Root port and Port4 becomes the Alternate port.
Edge Ports and Edge Port Roles
HP’s implementation of 802.1W allows ports that are configured as Edge ports to be present in an 802.1W
topology. (Figure 8.2). Edge ports are ports of a bridge that connect to workstations or computers. Edge ports do
not register any incoming BPDU activities.
Edge ports assume Designated port roles. Port flapping does not cause any topology change events on Edge
ports since 802.1W does not consider Edge ports in the spanning tree calculations.
8 - 25
Figure 8.2 Topology with Edge Ports

Port3 Port3 Port5

Edge Port
Port2 Port3
Routing Switch 3
Bridge priority = 2000
Port5
Edge Port
However, if any incoming RST BPDU is received from a previously configured Edge port, 802.1W automatically
makes the port as a non-edge port. This is extremely important to ensure a loop free Layer 2 operation since a
non-edge port is part of the active RSTP topology.
The 802.1W protocol can auto-detect an Edge port and a non-edge port. An administrator can also configure a
port to be an Edge port using the CLI. It is recommended that Edge ports are configured explicitly to take
advantage of the Edge port feature, instead of allowing the protocol to auto-detect them.
Point-to-Point Ports
To take advantage of the 802.1W features, ports on an 802.1W topology should be explicitly configured as point-
to-point links using the CLI. Shared media should not be configured as point-to-point links.
NOTE: Configuring shared media or non-point-to-point links as point-to-point links could lead to Layer 2 loops.
The topology in Figure 8.3 is an example of shared media that should not be configured as point-to-point links. In
Figure 8.3, a port on a bridge communicates or is connected to at least two ports.
Figure 8.3 Example of Shared Media
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Bridge Port States

Ports roles can have one of the following states:
• Forwarding – 802.1W is allowing the port to send and receive all packets.
• Discarding – 802.1W has blocked data traffic on this port to prevent a loop. The device or VLAN can reach
the root bridge using another port, whose state is forwarding. When a port is in this state, the port does not
transmit or receive data frames, but the port does continue to receive RST BPDUs. This state corresponds to
the listening and blocking states of 802.1D.
• Learning – 802.1W is allowing MAC entries to be added to the filtering database but does not permit
forwarding of data frames. The device can learn the MAC addresses of frames that the port receives during
this state and make corresponding entries in the MAC table.
• Disabled – The port is not participating in 802.1W. This can occur when the port is disconnected or 802.1W is
administratively disabled on the port.
A port on a non-root bridge with the role of Root port is always in a forwarding state. If another port on that bridge
assumes the Root port role, then the old Root port moves into a discarding state as it assumes another port role.
A port on a non-root bridge with a Designated role starts in the discarding state. When that port becomes elected
to the Root port role, 802.1W quickly places it into a forwarding state. However, if the Designated port is an Edge
port, then the port starts and stays in a forwarding state and it cannot be elected as a Root port.
A port with an Alternate or Backup role is always in a discarding state. If the port’s role changes to Designated,
then the port changes into a forwarding state.
If a port on one bridge has a Designated role and that port is connected to a port on another bridge that has an
Alternate or Backup role, the port with a Designated role cannot be given a Root port role until two instances of the
forward delay timer expires on that port.
Edge Port and Non-Edge Port States
As soon as a port is configured as an Edge port using the CLI, it goes into a forwarding state instantly (in less than
100 msec):
When the link to a port comes up and 802.1W detects that the port is an Edge port, that port instantly goes into a
forwarding state.
If 802.1W detects that port as a non-edge port, the port goes into a forwarding state within four seconds of link up
or after two hello timer expires on the port.
Changes to Port Roles and States
To achieve convergence in a topology, a port’s role and state changes as it receives and transmits new RST
BPDUs. Changes in a port’s role and state constitute a topology change. Besides the superiority and inferiority of
the RST BPDU, bridge-wide and per-port state machines are used to determine a port’s role as well as a port’s
state. Port state machines also determine when port role and state changes occur.
State Machines
The bridge uses the Port Role Selection state machine to determine if port role changes are required on the
bridge. This state machine performs a computation when one of the following events occur:
• New information is received on any port on the bridge
• The timer expires for the current information on a port on the bridge
Each port uses the following state machines:
• Port Information – This state machine keeps track of spanning-tree information currently used by the port. It
records the origin of the information and ages out any information that was derived from an incoming BPDU.
• Port Role Transition – This state machine keeps track of the current port role and transitions the port to the
appropriate role when required. It moves the Root port and the Designated port into forwarding states and
moves the Alternate and Backup ports into discarding states.
• Port Transmit – This state machine is responsible for BPDU transmission. It checks to ensure only the
8 - 27
maximum number of BPDUs per hello interval are sent every second. Based on what mode it is operating in,
it sends out either legacy BPDUs or RST BPDUs. In this document legacy BPDUs are also referred to as STP
BPDUs.
• Port Protocol Migration – This state machine deals with compatibility with 802.1D bridges. When a legacy
BPDU is detected on a port, this state machine configures the port to transmit and receive legacy BPDUs and
operate in the legacy mode.
• Topology Change – This state machine detects, generates, and propagates topology change notifications. It
acknowledges Topology Change Notice (TCN) messages when operating in 802.1D mode. It also flushes the
MAC table when a topology change event takes place.
• Port State Transition – This state machine transitions the port to a discarding, learning, or forwarding state
and performs any necessary processing associated with the state changes.
• Port Timers – This state machine is responsible for triggering any of the state machines described above,
based on expiration of specific port timers.
In contrast to the 802.1D standard, the 802.1W standard does not have any bridge specific timers. All timers in the
CLI are applied on a per-port basis, even though they are configured under bridge parameters.
802.1W state machines attempt to quickly place the ports into either a forwarding or discarding state. Root ports
are quickly placed in forwarding state when both of the following events occur:
• It is assigned to be the Root port.
• It receives an RST BPDU with a proposal flag from a Designated port. The proposal flag is sent by ports with
a Designated role when they are ready to move into a forwarding state.
When a the role of Root port is given to another port, the old Root port is instructed to reroot. The old Root port
goes into a discarding state and negotiates with its peer port for a new role and a new state. A peer port is the port
on the other bridge to which the port is connected. For example, in Figure 8.4, Port1 of Routing Switch 200 is the
peer port of Port2 of Routing Switch 100.
A port with a Designated role is quickly placed into a forwarding state if one of the following occurs:
• The Designated port receives an RST BPDU that contains an agreement flag from a Root port
• The Designated port is an Edge port
However, a Designated port that is attached to an Alternate port or a Backup port must wait until the forward delay
timer expires twice on that port while it is still in a Designated role, before it can proceed to the forwarding state.
Backup ports are quickly placed into discarding states.
Alternate ports are quickly placed into discarding states.
A port operating in 802.1W mode may enter a learning state to allow MAC entries to be added to the filtering
database; however, this state is transient and lasts only a few milliseconds, if the port is operating in 802.1W mode
and if the port meets the conditions for rapid transition.
Handshake Mechanisms
To rapidly transition a Designated or Root port into a forwarding state, the Port Role Transition state machine uses
handshake mechanisms to ensure loop free operations. It uses one type of handshake if no Root port has been
assigned on a bridge, and another type if a Root port has already been assigned.
Handshake When No Root Port is Elected
If a Root port has not been assigned on a bridge, 802.1W uses the Proposing -> Proposed -> Sync -> Synced ->
Agreed handshake:
• Proposing – The Designated port on the root bridge sends an RST BPDU packet to its peer port that contains
a proposal flag. The proposal flag is a signal that indicates that the Designated port is ready to put itself in a
forwarding state (Figure 8.4). The Designated port continues to send this flag in its RST BPDU until it is
placed in a forwarding state (Figure 8.7) or is forced to operate in 802.1D mode. (See “Compatibility of
802.1W with 802.1D” on page 48.)
• Proposed – When a port receives an RST BPDU with a proposal flag from the Designated port on its point-to-
8 - 28
point link, it asserts the Proposed signal and one of the following occurs (Figure 8.4):
• If the RST BPDU that the port receives is superior to what it can transmit, the port assumes the role of a
Root port. (See the section on “Bridges and Bridge Port Roles” on page 8-23.)
• If the RST BPDU that the port receives is inferior to what it can transmit, then the port is given the role of
Designated port.
NOTE: Proposed will never be asserted if the port is connected on a shared media link.
In Figure 8.4, Port3/Routing Switch 200 is elected as the Root port
Figure 8.4 Proposing and Proposed Stage
Routing Switch 100

Root Bridge
Port2
Designated port
Proposing
RST BPDU
sent with a
Proposal
flag
Port1
Root port
Proposed
Routing Switch 200
Port2 Port3
Port2 Port3
Routing Switch 300

Routing Switch 400
8 - 29
• Sync – Once the Root port is elected, it sets a sync signal on all the ports on the bridge. The signal tells the
ports to synchronize their roles and states (Figure 8.5). Ports that are non-edge ports with a role of
Designated port change into a discarding state. These ports have to negotiate with their peer ports to
establish their new roles and states.
Figure 8.5 Sync Stage
Routing Switch 100

Root Bridge
Port1
Designated port
Port1
Root port
Sync
Routing Switch 200
Port2 Port3
Sync Sync
Discarding Discarding
Port2 Port3
Routing Switch 300

Routing Switch 400
Indicates a signal
8 - 30
• Synced – Once the Designated port changes into a discarding state, it asserts a synced signal. Immediately,
Alternate ports and Backup ports are synced. The Root port monitors the synced signals from all the bridge
ports. Once all bridge ports asserts a synced signal, the Root port asserts its own synced signal (Figure 8.6).
Figure 8.6 Synced Stage
Routing Switch 100

Root Bridge
Port1
Designated port
Port1
Root port
Synced
Routing Switch 200
Port2 Port3
Synced Synced
Port2 Port3
Routing Switch 300

Routing Switch 400
Indicates a signal
8 - 31
• Agreed – The Root port sends back an RST BPDU containing an agreed flag to its peer Designated port and
moves into the forwarding state. When the peer Designated port receives the RST BPDU, it rapidly
transitions into a forwarding state.
Figure 8.7 Agree Stage
Routing Switch 100

Root Bridge
Port1
Designated port
Forwarding
RST BPDU
sent with Port1
an Agreed Root port
flag Synced
Forwarding
Routing Switch 200
Port2 Port3
Synced Synced
Port2 Port3
Routing Switch 300

Routing Switch 400
Indicates a signal
At this point, the handshake mechanism is complete between Routing Switch 100, the root bridge, and Routing
Switch 200.
Routing Switch 200 updates the information on the Routing Switch 200’s Designated ports (Port2 and Port3) and
identifies the new root bridge. The Designated ports send RST BPDUs, containing proposal flags, to their
downstream bridges, without waiting for the hello timers to expire on them. This process starts the handshake
with the downstream bridges.
For example, Port2/Routing Switch 200 sends an RST BPDU to Port2/Routing Switch 300 that contains a
proposal flag. Port2/Routing Switch 300 asserts a proposed signal. Ports in Routing Switch 300 then set sync
signals on the ports to synchronize and negotiate their roles and states. Then the ports assert a synced signal and
when the Root port in Routing Switch 300 asserts it’s synced signal, it sends an RST BPDU to Routing Switch 200
with an agreed flag.
This handshake is repeated between Routing Switch 200 and Routing Switch 400 until all Designated and Root
ports are in forwarding states.
8 - 32
Handshake When a Root Port Has Been Elected

If a non-root bridge already has a Root port, 802.1W uses a different type of handshake. For example, in Figure
8.8, a new root bridge is added to the topology.
Figure 8.8 Addit ion of a New Root Bridge
Switch 100
Port2
Designated
port
Port2 Switch 60
Port1 Port4
Designated port Designated port
Port1
Root port
Port4
Switch 200
Port2 Port3
Port2 Port3
Switch 300
Switch 400
8 - 33
The handshake that occurs between Routing Switch 60 and Routing Switch 100 follows the one described in the
previous section (“Handshake When No Root Port is Elected” on page 8-28). The former root bridge becomes a
non-root bridge and establishes a Root port (Figure 8.9).
However, since Routing Switch 200 already had a Root port in a forwarding state, 802.1W uses the Proposing ->
Proposed -> Sync and Reroot -> Sync and Rerooted -> Rerooted and Synced -> Agreed handshake:
• Proposing and Proposed – The Designated port on the new root bridge (Port4/Routing Switch 60) sends an
RST BPDU that contains a proposing signal to Port4/Routing Switch 200 to inform the port that it is ready to
put itself in a forwarding state (Figure 8.9). 802.1W algorithm determines that the RST BPDU that Port4/
Routing Switch 200 received is superior to what it can generate, so Port4/Routing Switch 200 assumes a
Root port role.
Figure 8.9 New Root Bridge Sending a Proposal Flag
Routing Switch 100

Handshake Port2
Completed Designated
port
Port2 Routing Switch 60
Root port
Port4
Port1
Designated port
Proposing
Proposing
Port1 RST BPDU

Root port sent with
Forwarding a Proposing
flag
Routing Switch 200

Port4
Designated port
Proposed
Port2 Port3
Port2 Port3
8 - 34
• Sync and Reroot – The Root port then asserts a sync and a reroot signal on all the ports on the bridge. The
signal tells the ports that a new Root port has been assigned and they are to renegotiate their new roles and
states. The other ports on the bridge assert their sync and reroot signals. Information about the old Root port
is discarded from all ports. Designated ports change into discarding states (Figure 8.10).
Figure 8.10 Sync and Reroot
Routing Switch 100

Port2
Designated
port
Root port
Port4
Port1
Designated port
Proposing
Proposing
Port1
Root port
Sync
Reroot
Forwarding
Port4
Routing Switch 200 Root port
Sync
Reroot
Port2 Port3 Discarding
Sync Sync
Reroot Reroot
Port2 Port3
Indicates a signal
8 - 35
• Sync and Rerooted – When the ports on Routing Switch 200 have completed the reroot phase, they assert
their rerooted signals and continue to assert their sync signals as they continue in their discarding states.
They also continue to negotiate their roles and states with their peer ports (Figure 8.11).
Figure 8.11 Sync and Rerooted
Routing Switch 100

Port2
Designated
port
Root port
Port4
Port1
Designated port
Proposing
Port1
Designated port
Sync
Rerooted
Discarding
Port4
Sync
Rerooted
Port2 Port3 Discarding
Sync Sync
Rerooted Rerooted
Port2 Port3
Routing Switch 300

Routing Switch 400
Indicates an 802.1W signal controlled by the current Root port
8 - 36
• Synced and Agree – When all the ports on the bridge assert their synced signals, the new Root port asserts
its own synced signal and sends an RST BPDU to Port4/Routing Switch 60 that contains an agreed flag
(Figure 8.11). The Root port also moves into a forwarding state.
Figure 8.12 Rerooted, Synced, and Agreed
Routing Switch 100

Port2
Designated
port
Root port
Port4
Port1
Designated port
Forwarding
Proposing
Port1
Rerooted
RST BPDU
Synced
sent with
Discarding
an Agreed
flag
Port4
Rerooted
Synced
Port2 Forwarding
Port3
Rerooted Rerooted
Synced Synced
Port2 Port3
Indicates a signal
The old Root port on Routing Switch 200 becomes an Alternate Port (Figure 8.13). Other ports on that bridge are
elected to appropriate roles.
The Designated port on Routing Switch 60 goes into a forwarding state once it receives the RST BPDU with the
agreed flag.
8 - 37
Figure 8.13 Handshake Completed After Election of New Root Port
Routing Switch 100

Port2
Designated
port
Root port
Port4
Port1
Designated port
Proposing
Port1
Alternate port
Port4
Port2 Port3
Proposing Proposing
Port2 Port3
Routing Switch 300

Routing Switch 400
Recall that Routing Switch 200 sent the agreed flag to Port4/Routing Switch 60 and not to Port1/Routing Switch
100 (the port that connects Routing Switch 100 to Routing Switch 200). Therefore, Port1/Routing Switch 100 does
not go into forwarding state instantly. It waits until two instances of the forward delay timer expires on the port
before it goes into forwarding state.
At this point the handshake between the Routing Switch 60 and Routing Switch 200 is complete.
The remaining bridges (Routing Switch 300 and Routing Switch 400) may have to go through the reroot
handshake if a new Root port needs to be assigned.
8 - 38
Convergence in a Simple Topology

The examples in this section illustrate how 802.1W convergence occurs in a simple Layer 2 topology at start-up.
NOTE: The remaining examples assume that the appropriate handshake mechanisms occur as port roles and
states change.
Convergence at Start Up
In Figure 8.14, two bridges Routing Switch 2 and Routing Switch 3 are powered up. There are point-to-point
connections between Port3/Routing Switch 2 and Port3/Routing Switch 3.
Figure 8.14 Convergence Between Two Bridges
Routing Switch 2
Port3
Designated
port
Port3
Root port
Routing Switch 3
At power up, all ports on Routing Switch 2 and Routing Switch 3 assume Designated port roles and are at
discarding states before they receive any RST BPDU.
Port3/Routing Switch 2, with a Designated role, transmits an RST BPDU with a proposal flag to Port3/Routing
Switch 3. A ports with a Designated role sends the proposal flag in its RST BPDU when they are ready to move to
a forwarding state.
Port3/Routing Switch 3, which starts with a role of Designated port, receives the RST BPDU and finds that it is
superior to what it can transmit; therefore, Port3/Routing Switch 3 assumes a new port role, that of a Root port.
Port3/Routing Switch 3 transmits an RST BPDU with an agreed flag back to Routing Switch 2 and immediately
goes into a forwarding state.
Port3/Routing Switch 2 receives the RST BPDU from Port3/Routing Switch 3 and immediately goes into a
forwarding state.
Now 802.1W has fully converged between the two bridges, with Port3/Routing Switch 3 as an operational root port
in forwarding state and Port3/Routing Switch 2 as an operational Designated port in forwarding state.
8 - 39
Next, Routing Switch 1 is powered up (Figure 8.15).
Figure 8.15 Simple Layer 2 Topology
Port3
Routing Port5
Designated
Routing Switch 2 Switch 1 Backup port
port
Port2 Port2
Bridge priority = 1500 Root port Designated Bridge priority = 1000
port
Port3 Port4
Designated Designated port
port
Port3
Alternate
port
Port4
Bridge priority = 2000 Root port
Routing Switch 3
The point-to-point connections between the three bridges are as follows:

• Port2/Routing Switch 1 and Port2/Routing Switch 2
Ports 3 and 5 on Routing Switch 1 are physically connected together.
At start up, the ports on Routing Switch 1 assume Designated port roles, which are in discarding state. They begin
sending RST BPDUs with proposal flags to move into a forwarding state.
When Port4/Routing Switch 3 receives these RST BPDUs 802.1W algorithm determines that they are better than
the RST BPDUs that were previously received on Port3/Routing Switch 3. Port4/Routing Switch 3 is now selected
as Root port. This new assignment signals Port3/Routing Switch 3 to begin entering the discarding state and to
assume an Alternate port role. As it goes through the transition, Port3/Routing Switch 3 negotiates a new role and
state with its peer port, Port3/Routing Switch 2.
Port4/Routing Switch 3 sends an RST BPDU with an agreed flag to Port4/Routing Switch 1. Both ports go into
forwarding states.
Port2/Routing Switch 2 receives an RST BPDU. The 802.1W algorithm determines that these RST BPDUs that
are superior to any that any port on Routing Switch 2 can transmit; therefore, Port2/Routing Switch 2 assumes the
role of a Root port.
The new Root port then signals all ports on the bridge to start synchronization. Since none of the ports are Edge
ports, they all enter the discarding state and assume the role of Designated ports. Port3/Routing Switch 2, which
previously had a Designated role with a forwarding state, starts the discarding state. They also negotiate port roles
and states with their peer ports. Port3/Routing Switch 2 also sends an RST BPU to Port3/Routing Switch 3 with a
proposal flag to request permission go into a forwarding state.
The Port2/Routing Switch 2 bridge also sends an RST BPDU with an agreed flag Port2/Routing Switch 1 that
Port2 is the new Root port. Both ports go into forwarding states.
8 - 40
Now, Port3/Routing Switch 3 is currently in a discarding state and is negotiating a port role. It received RST
BPDUs from Port3/Routing Switch 2. The 802.1W algorithm determines that the RST BPDUs Port3/Routing
Switch 3 received are superior to those it can transmit; however, they are not superior to those that are currently
being received by the current Root port (Port4). Therefore, Port3 retains the role of Alternate port.
Ports 3/Routing Switch 1 and Port5/Routing Switch 1 are physically connected. Port5/Routing Switch 1 received
RST BPDUs that are superior to those received on Port3/Routing Switch 1; therefore, Port5/Routing Switch 1 is
given the Backup port role while Port3 is given the Designated port role. Port3/Routing Switch 1, does not go
directly into a forwarding state. It waits until the forward delay time expires twice on that port before it can proceed
to the forwarding state.
Once convergence is achieved, the active Layer 2 forwarding path converges as shown in Figure 8.16.
Figure 8.16 Active Layer 2 Path
Routing Switch 2

Port5 Port2
Port2 Port2
Port3 Port3 Port4 Port3
Port2 Port3 Port3 Port4 Port3
Routing Switch 3 Routing Switch 4 Routing Switch 6

Bridge priority = 300 Bridge priority = 400 Bridge priority = 900
Indicates the active Layer 2 path
8 - 41
Convergence After a Link Failure

What happens if a link in the 802.1W topology fails?
For example, Port2/Routing Switch , which is the port that connects Routing Switch 2 to the root bridge (Routing
Switch 1), fails. Both Routing Switch 2 and Routing Switch 1 notice the topology change (Figure 8.17).
Figure 8.17 Link Failure in the Topology
Routing
Routing Switch 2 Port3 Switch 1 Port5
Port2
Bridge priority = 1500 Port2 Bridge priority = 1000
Port3 Port4
Port3 Port4
Routing Switch 3
Routing Switch 1 sets its Port2 into a discarding state.

At the same time, Routing Switch 2 assumes the role of a root bridge since its root port failed and it has no
operational Alternate port. Port3/Routing Switch 2, which currently has a Designated port role, sends an RST
BPDU to Routing Switch 3. The RST BPDU contains a proposal flag and a bridge ID of Routing Switch 2 as its
root bridge ID.
When Port3/Routing Switch 3 receives the RST BPDUs, 802.1W algorithm determines that they are inferior to
those that the port can transmit. Therefore, Port3/Routing Switch 3 is given a new role, that of a Designated port.
Port3/Routing Switch 3 then sends an RST BPDU with a proposal flag to Routing Switch 2, along with the new
role information. However, the root bridge ID transmitted in the RST BPDU is still Routing Switch 1.
When Port3/Routing Switch 2 receives the RST BPDU, 802.1W algorithm determines that it is superior to the RST
BPDU that it can transmit; therefore, Port3/Routing Switch 2 receives a new role; that of a Root port. Port3/
Routing Switch 2 then sends an RST BPDU with an agreed flag to Port3/Routing Switch 3. Port3/Routing Switch
2 goes into a forwarding state.
When Port3/Routing Switch 3 receives the RST BPDU that Port3/Routing Switch 2 sent, Port3/Routing Switch 3
changes into a forwarding state, which then completes the full convergence of the topology.
Convergence at Link Restoration

When Port2/Routing Switch 2 is restored, both Routing Switch 2 and Routing Switch 1 recognize the change.
Port2/Routing Switch 1 starts assuming the role of a Designated port and sends an RST BPDU containing a
proposal flag to Port2/Routing Switch 2.
When Port2/Routing Switch 2 receives the RST BPDUs, 802.1W algorithm determines that the RST BPDUs the
port received are better than those received on Port3/Routing Switch 3; therefore, Port2/Routing Switch 2 is given
the role of a Root port. All the ports on Routing Switch 2 are informed that a new Root port has been assigned
which then signals all the ports to synchronize their roles and states. Port3/Routing Switch 2, which was the
8 - 42
previous Root port, enters a discarding state and negotiates with other ports on the bridge to establish its new role
and state, until it finally assumes the role of a Designated port.
Next, the following happens:
• Port3/Routing Switch 2, the Designated port, sends an RST BPDU, with a proposal flag to Port3/Routing
Switch 3.
• Port2/Routing Switch 2 also sends an RST BPDU with an agreed flag to Port2/Routing Switch 1 and then
places itself into a forwarding state.
When Port2/Routing Switch 1 receives the RST BPDU with an agreed flag sent by Port2/Routing Switch 2, it puts
that port into a forwarding state. The topology is now fully converged.
When Port3/Routing Switch 3 receives the RST BPDU that Port3/Routing Switch 2 sent, 802.1W algorithm
determines that these RST BPDUs are superior to those that Port3/Routing Switch 3 can transmit. Therefore,
Port3/Routing Switch 3 is given a new role, that of an Alternate port. Port3/Routing Switch 3 immediately enters a
discarding state.
Now Port3/Routing Switch 2 does not go into a forwarding state instantly like the Root port. It waits until the
forward delay timer expires twice on that port while it is still in a Designated role, before it can proceed to the
forwarding state. The wait, however, does not cause a denial of service, since the essential connectivity in the
topology has already been established.
When fully restored, the topology is the same as that shown on Figure 8.15.
Convergence in a Complex 802.1W Topology

The following is an example of a complex 802.1W topology.
Figure 8.18 Complex 802.1W Topology
Routing Switch 2

Port5 Port2
Port2 Port2

In Figure 8.18, Routing Switch 5 is selected as the root bridge since it is the bridge with the highest priority. Lines
in the figure show the point-to-point connection to the bridges in the topology.
8 - 43
Routing Switch 5 sends an RST BPDU that contains a proposal flag to Port5/Routing Switch 2. When handshakes
are completed in Routing Switch 5, Port5/Routing Switch 2 is selected as the Root port on Routing Switch 2. All
other ports on Routing Switch 2 are given Designated port role with discarding states.
Port5/Routing Switch 2 then sends an RST BPDU with an agreed flag to Routing Switch 5 to confirm that it is the
new Root port and the port enters a forwarding state. Port7 and Port8 are informed of the identity of the new Root
port. 802.1W algorithm selects Port7 as the Designated port while Port8 becomes the Backup port.
Port3/Routing Switch 5 sends an RST BPDU to Port3/Routing Switch 6 with a proposal flag. When Port3/Routing
Switch 5 receives the RST BPDU, handshake mechanisms select Port3 as the Root port of Routing Switch 6. All
other ports are given a Designated port role with discarding states. Port3/Routing Switch 6 then sends an RST
BPDU with an agreed flag to Port3/Routing Switch 5 to confirm that it is the Root port. The Root port then goes
into a forwarding state.
Now, Port4/Routing Switch 6 receives RST BPDUs that are superior to what it can transmit; therefore, it is given
the Alternate port role. The port remains in discarding state.
Port5/Routing Switch 6 receives RST BPDUs that are inferior to what it can transmit. The port is then given a
Designated port role.
Next Routing Switch 2 sends RST BPDUs with a proposal flag to Port3/Routing Switch 4. Port3 becomes the Root
port for the bridge; all other ports are given a Designated port role with discarding states. Port3/Routing Switch 4
sends an RST BPDU with an agreed flag to Routing Switch 2 to confirm that it is the new Root port. The port then
goes into a forwarding state.
Now Port4/Routing Switch 4 receives an RST BPDU that is superior to what it can transmit. The port is then given
an Alternate port role, and remains in discarding state.
Likewise, Port5/Switch 4 receives an RST BPDU that is superior to what it can transmit. The port is also given an
Alternate port role, and remains in discarding state.
Port2/Routing Switch 2 transmits an RST BPDU with a proposal flag to Port2/Routing Switch 1. Port2/Routing
Switch 1 becomes the Root port. All other ports on Routing Switch 1 are given Designated port roles with
discarding states.
Port2/Routing Switch 1 sends an RST BPDU with an agreed flag to Port2/Routing Switch 2 and Port2/Routing
Switch 1 goes into a forwarding state.
Port3/Routing Switch 1 receives an RST BPDUs that is inferior to what it can transmit; therefore, the port retains
its Designated port role and goes into forwarding state only after the forward delay timer expires twice on that port
while it is still in a Designated role.
Port3/Routing Switch 2 sends an RST BPDU to Port3/Routing Switch 3 that contains a proposal flag. Port3/
Routing Switch 3 becomes the Root port, while all other ports on Routing Switch 3 are given Designated port roles
and go into discarding states. Port3/Routing Switch 3 sends an RST BPDU with an agreed flag to Port3/Routing
Switch 2 and Port3/Routing Switch 3 goes into a forwarding state.
Now, Port2/Routing Switch 3 receives an RST BPDUs that is superior to what it can transmit so that port is given
an Alternate port state.
Port4/Routing Switch 3 receives an RST BPDU that is inferior to what it can transmit; therefore, the port retains its
Designated port role.
Ports on all the bridges in the topology with Designated port roles that received RST BPDUs with agreed flags go
into forwarding states instantly. However, Designated ports that did not receive RST BPDUs with agreed flags
must wait until the forward delay timer expires twice on those port. Only then will these port move into forwarding
states.
The entire 802.1W topology converges in less than 300 msec and the essential connectivity is established
between the designated ports and their connected root ports.
8 - 44
After convergence is complete, Figure 8.19 shows the active Layer 2 path of the topology in Figure 8.18.
Figure 8.19 Active Layer 2 Path in Complex Topology
Routing Switch 2

Port5 Port2
Port2 Port2

Propagation of Topology Change

The Topology Change state machine generates and propagates the topology change notification messages on
each port. When a Root port or a Designated port goes into a forwarding state, the Topology Change state
machine on those ports send a topology change notice (TCN) to all the bridges in the topology to propagate the
topology change.
NOTE: Edge ports, Alternate ports, or Backup ports do not need to propagate a topology change.
The TCN is sent in the RST BPDU that a port sends. Ports on other bridges in the topology then acknowledge the
topology change once they receive the RST BPDU, and send the TCN to other bridges until all the bridges are
informed of the topology change.
8 - 45
For example, Port3/Routing Switch 2 in Figure 8.20, fails. Port4/Routing Switch 3 becomes the new Root port.
Port4/Routing Switch 3 sends an RST BPDU with a TCN to Port4/Routing Switch 4. To propagate the topology
change, Port4/Routing Switch 4 then starts a TCN timer on itself, on the bridge’s Root port, and on other ports on
that bridge with a Designated role. Then Port3/Routing Switch 4 sends RST BPDU with the TCN to Port4/Routing
Switch 2. (Note the new active Layer 2 path in Figure 8.20.)
Figure 8.20 Beginning of Topology Change Notice
Routing Switch 2

Port5 Port2
Port2 Port2
Port3
Port3 Port4 Port3

Indicates direction of TCN
8 - 46
Routing Switch 2 then starts the TCN timer on the Designated ports and sends RST BPDUs that contain the TCN
as follows (Figure 8.21):
• Port5/Routing Switch 2 sends the TCN to Port2/Routing Switch 5
Figure 8.21 Sending TCN to Bridges Connected to Routing Switch 2
Routing Switch 2

Port5 Port2
Port2 Port2
Port3
Port3 Port4 Port3

8 - 47
Then FRY1, Routing Switch 5, and Routing Switch 6 send RST BPDUs that contain the TCN to Routing Switch 3
and Routing Switch 4 to complete the TCN propagation (Figure 8.22).
Figure 8.22 Completing the TCN Propagation
Routing Switch 2

Port5 Port2
Port2 Port2
Port3
Port3 Port4 Port3

Compatibility of 802.1W with 802.1D

802.1W-enabled bridges are backward compatible with IEEE 802.1D bridges. This compatibility is managed on a
per-port basis by the Port Migration state machine. However, intermixing the two types of bridges in the
network topology is not advisable if you want to take advantage of the rapid convergence feature.
Compatibility with 802.1D means that an 802.1W-enabled port can send BPDUs in the STP or 802.1D format
when one of the following events occur:
• The port receives a legacy BPDU. A legacy BPDU is an STP BPDU or a BPDU in an 802.1D format. The port
that receives the legacy BPDU automatically configures itself to behave like a legacy port. It sends and
receives legacy BPDUs only.
• The entire bridge is configured to operate in an 802.1D mode when an administrator sets the
• bridge parameter to zero at the CLI, forcing all ports on the bridge to send legacy BPDUs only.
Once a port operates in the 802.1D mode, 802.1D convergence times are used and rapid convergence is not
realized.
8 - 48
For example, in Figure 8.23, Routing Switch 10 and Routing Switch 30 receive legacy BPDUs from Routing
Switch 20. Ports on Routing Switch 10 and Routing Switch 30 begin sending BPDUs in STP format to allow them
to operate transparently with Routing Switch 20.
Figure 8.23 802.1W Bridges with an 802.1D Bridge
802.1W 802.1D 802.1W
Once Routing Switch 20 is removed from the LAN, Routing Switch 10 and Routing Switch 30 receive and transmit
BPDUs in the STP format to and from each other. This state will continue until the administrator enables the force-
migration-check command to force the bridge to send RSTP BPDU during a migrate time period. If ports on the
bridges continue to hear only STP BPDUs after this migrate time period, those ports will return to sending STP
BPDUs. However, when the ports receive RST BPDUs during the migrate time period, the ports begin sending
RST BPDUs. The migrate time period is non-configurable. It has a value of three seconds.
NOTE: The IEEE standards state that 802.1W bridges need to interoperate with 802.1D bridges. IEEE
standards set the path cost of 802.1W bridges to be between 1 and 200,000,000; whereas path cost of 802.1D
bridges are set between 1 and 65,535. In order for the two bridge types to be able to interoperate in the same
topology, the administrator needs to configure the bridge path cost appropriately. Path costs for either 802.1W
bridges or 802.1D bridges need to be changed; in most cases, path costs for 802.1W bridges need to be changed.
Configuring 802.1W Parameters on an HP Device

The remaining 802.1W sections explain how to configure the 802.1W protocol in an HP Chassis device.
Chassis devices are shipped from the factory with 802.1W disabled. Use the following methods to enable or
disable 802.1W. You can enable or disable 802.1W at the following levels:
• Port-based VLAN – Affects all ports within the specified port-based VLAN. When you enable or disable
802.1W within a port-based VLAN, the setting overrides the global setting. Thus, you can enable 802.1W for
the ports within a port-based VLAN even when 802.1W is globally disabled, or disable the ports within a port-
based VLAN when 802.1W is globally enabled.
• Individual port – Affects only the individual port. However, if you change the 802.1W state of the primary port
in a trunk group, the change affects all ports in the trunk group.
Enabling or Disabling 802.1W in a Port-Based VLAN
Use the following procedure to disable or enable 802.1W on a device on which you have configured a port-based
VLAN. Changing the 802.1W state in a VLAN affects only that VLAN.
USING THE CLI
To enable 802.1W for all ports in a port-based VLAN, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config-vlan-10)# spanning-tree 802-1w
Syntax: [no] spanning-tree 802-1w

You cannot enable or disable 802.1W on port-based VLAN using the Web management interface.
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Enabling or Disabling 802.1W on a Single Spanning Tree

To enable 802.1W for all ports of a single spanning tree, use the procedure in this section.
USING THE CLI
Enter a command such as the following:
HP9300(config-vlan-10)# spanning-tree single 802-1w
Syntax: [no] spanning-tree single 802-1w

You cannot enable or disable 802.1W on a single spanning tree using the Web management interface.
Disabling or Enabling 802.1W on an Individual Port
The spanning-tree 802-1w or spanning-tree single 802-1w command must be used to initially enable 802.1W
on ports. Both commands enable 802.1W on all ports that belong to the VLAN or to the single spanning tree.
Once 802.1W is enabled on a port, it can be disabled on individual ports. 802.1W that have been disabled on
individual ports can then be enabled as required.
NOTE: If you change the 802.1W state of the primary port in a trunk group, the change affects all ports in that
trunk group.
USING THE CLI

To disable or enable 802.1W on an individual port, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config-if-1/1)# no spanning-tree

You cannot enable or disable 802.1W on individual ports using the Web management interface.
Changing 802.1W Bridge Parameters
When you make changes to 802.1W bridge parameters, the changes are applied to individual ports on the bridge.
To change 802.1W bridge parameters, use the following methods.
USING THE CLI
To designate a priority for a bridge, enter a command such as the following:
HP9300(config)# spanning-tree 802-1w priority 10
The command in this example changes the priority on a device on which you have not configured port-based
VLANs. The change applies to the default VLAN. If you have configured a port-based VLAN on the device, you
can configure the parameters only at the configuration level for individual VLANs. Enter commands such as the
following:
HP9300(config-vlan-20)# spanning-tree 802-1w priority 0
To make this change in the default VLAN, enter the following commands:
HP9300(config-vlan-1)# spanning-tree 802-1w priority 0
Syntax: spanning-tree 802-1w [forward-delay <value>] | [hello-time <value>] | [max-age <time>] | [force-version
<value>] | [priority <value>]
The forward-delay <value> parameter specifies how long a port waits before it forwards an RST BPDU after a
topology change. This can be a value from 4 – 30 seconds. The default is 15 seconds.
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The hello-time <value> parameter specifies the interval between two hello packets. This parameter can have a
value from 1 – 10 seconds. The default is 2 seconds; however, set this value to at least 4 seconds to provide
enough time for BPDUs to reach the root bridge before the timeout period expires on a non-root bridge port.
The max-age <value> parameter specifies the amount of time the device waits to receive a hello packet before it
initiates a topology change. You can specify a value from 6 – 40 seconds. The default is 20 seconds.
Beginning with software release 07.6.04, the value of max-age must be greater than the value of forward-delay
to ensure that the downstream bridges do not age out faster than the upstream bridges (those bridges that are
closer to the root bridge).
The force-version <value> parameter forces the bridge to send BPDUs in a specific format. You can specify one
of the following values:
• 0 – The STP compatibility mode. Only STP (or legacy) BPDUs will be sent.
• 2 – The default. RST BPDUs will be sent unless a legacy bridge is detected. If a legacy bridge is detected,
STP BPDUs will be sent instead.
The default is 2.
The priority <value> parameter specifies the priority of the bridge. You can enter a value from 0 – 65535. A
lower numerical value means a the bridge has a higher priority. Thus, the highest priority is 0. The default is
32768.
You can specify some or all of these parameters on the same command line. If you specify more than one
parameter, you must specify them in the order shown above, from left to right.
You cannot modify 802.1W bridge parameters using the Web management interface.
Changing Port Parameters

The 802.1W port commands can be enabled on individual ports or on multiple ports, such as all ports that belong
to a VLAN.
The 802.1W port parameters are preconfigured with default values. If the default parameters meet your network
requirements, no other action is required.
You can change the following 802.1W port parameters using the following methods.
USING CLI
HP9300(config-vlan-10)# spanning-tree 802-1w ethernet 1/5 path-cost 15 priority 64
Syntax: spanning-tree 802-1w ethernet <portnum> path-cost <value> | priority <value> | [admin-edge-port] |
[admin-pt2pt-mac] | [force-migration-check]
The ethernet <portnum> parameter specifies the interface used.
The path-cost <value> parameter specifies the cost of the port’s path to the root bridge. 802.1W prefers the path
with the lowest cost. You can specify a value from 1 – 20,000,000. Table 1 shows the recommended path cost
values from the IEEE standards.
Table 1: Recommended Path Cost Values of 802.1W
Link Speed Recommended Recommended 802.1W Path

(Default) 802.1W Path Cost Range
Cost Values
Less than 100 kilobits per 200,000,000 20,000,000 – 200,000,000

second
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Table 1: Recommended Path Cost Values of 802.1W
Link Speed Recommended Recommended 802.1W Path

(Default) 802.1W Path Cost Range
Cost Values
1 Megabit per second 20,000,000 2,000,000 – 200,000,000
10 Megabits per second 2,000,000 200,000 – 200,000,000
100 Megabits per second 200,000 20,000 – 200,000,000
1 Gigabit per second 20,000 2,000 – 200,000,000
10 Gigabits per second 2,000 200 – 20,000
100 Gigabits per second 200 20 – 2,000
1 Terabits per second 20 2 – 200
10 Terabits per second 2 1 – 20
The priority <value> parameter specifies the preference that 802.1W gives to this port relative to other ports for
forwarding traffic out of the topology. You can specify a value from 8 – 252, in increments of 4. If you enter a value
that is not divisible by four the software rounds to the nearest value that is. The default is 128. A higher numerical
value means a lower priority; thus, the highest priority is 8
Set the admin-edge-port to enabled or disabled. If set to enabled, then the port becomes an edge port in the
domain.
Set the admin-pt2pt-mac to enabled or disabled. If set to enabled, then a port is connected to another port
through a point-to-point link. The point-to-point link increases the speed of convergence. This parameter,
however, does not auto-detect whether or not the link is a physical point-to-point link.
The force-migration-check parameter forces the specified port to sent one RST BPDU. If only STP BPDUs are
received in response to the sent RST BPDU, then the port will go return to sending STP BPDUs.
You cannot modify 802.1W port parameters using the Web management interface.
EXAMPLE:
Suppose you want to enable 802.1W on a system with no active port-based VLANs and change the hello-time
from the default value of 2 to 8 seconds. Additionally, suppose you want to change the path and priority costs for
port 5 only. To do so, enter the following commands.
HP9300(config)# spanning-tree 802-1w hello-time 8
HP9300(config)# spanning-tree 802-1w ethernet 5 path-cost 15 priority 64
Displaying Information About 802-1W

You can display a summary or details of the 802.1W information.
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USING THE CLI

To display a summary of 802-1W, use the following command:
HP9300(config)#show 802-1w
--- VLAN 1 [ STP Instance owned by VLAN 1 ] ----------------------------
VLAN 1 BPDU cam_index is 2 and the IGC and DMA master Are(HEX) 0 1 2 3
Bridge IEEE 802.1W Parameters:
Bridge Bridge Bridge Bridge Force tx
Identifier MaxAge Hello FwdDly Version Hold
hex sec sec sec cnt
800000e080541700 20 2 15 Default 3
RootBridge RootPath DesignatedBri- Root Max Fwd Hel

Identifier Cost dge Identifier Port Age Dly lo
hex hex sec sec sec
800000e0804c9c00 200000 800000e0804c9c00 1 20 15 2
Port IEEE 802.1W Parameters:
<--- Config Params -->|<-------------- Current state ----------------->
Port Pri PortPath P2P Edge Role State Designa- Designated
Num Cost Mac Port ted cost bridge
1 128 200000 F F ROOT FORWARDING 0 800000e0804c9c00
2 128 200000 F F DESIGNATED FORWARDING 200000 800000e080541700
3 128 200000 F F DESIGNATED FORWARDING 200000 800000e080541700
4 128 200000 F F BACKUP DISCARDING 200000 800000e080541700
Syntax: show 802-1w [vlan <vlan-id>]

The vlan <vlan-id> parameter displays 802.1W information for the specified port-based VLAN.
The show 802.1w display command shows the information listed in Table 2.
Table 2: CLI Display of 802.1W Summary
VLAN ID The port-based VLAN that owns the STP instance. VLAN 1 is the
default VLAN. If you have not configured port-based VLANs on this
device, all 802.1W information is for VLAN 1.
Bridge IEEE 802.1W Parameters
Bridge Identifier The ID of the bridge.
Bridge Max Age The configured max age for this bridge. The default is 20.
Bridge Hello The configured hello time for this bridge.The default is 2.
Bridge FwdDly The configured forward delay time for this bridge. The default is 15.
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Table 2: CLI Display of 802.1W Summary (Continued)
Force-Version The configured force version value. One of the following value is
displayed:
• 0 – The bridge has been forced to operate in an STP compatibility
mode.
• 2 – The bridge has been forced to operate in an 802.1W mode.
(This is the default.)
txHoldCnt The number of BPDUs that can be transmitted per Hello Interval. The
default is 3.
Root Bridge Identifier ID of the Root bridge that is associated with this bridge
Root Path Cost The cost to reach the root bridge from this bridge. If the bridge is the
root bridge, then this parameter shows a value of zero.
Designated Bridge Identifier The bridge from where the root information was received.It can be
from the root bridge itself, but it could also be from another bridge.
Root Port The port on which the root information was received. This is the port
that is connected to the Designated Bridge.
Max Age The max age is derived from the Root port. An 802.1W-enabled
bridge uses this value, along with the hello and message age
parameters to compute the effective age of an RST BPDU.
The message age parameter is generated by the Designated port
and transmitted in the RST BPDU. RST BPDUs transmitted by a
Designated port of the root bridge contains a message value of zero.
Effective age is the amount of time the Root port, Alternate port, or
Backup port retains the information it received from its peer
Designated port. Effective age is reset every time a port receives an
RST BPDU from its Designated port. If a Root port does not receive
an RST BPDU from its peer Designated port for a duration more than
the effective age, the Root port ages out the existing information and
recomputes the topology.
If the port is operating in 802.1D compatible mode, then max age
functionality is the same as in 802.1D (STP).
Fwd Dly The number of seconds a non-edge Designated port waits until it can
apply any of the following transitions, if the RST BPDU it receives
does not have an agreed flag:
• Discarding state to learning state
• Learning state to forwarding state
When a non-edge port receives the RST BPDU it goes into forwarding
state within 4 seconds or after two hello timers expire on the port.
Fwd Dly is also the number of seconds that a Root port waits for an
RST BPDU with a proposal flag before it applies the state transitions
listed above.
If the port is operating in 802.1D compatible mode, then forward delay
functionality is the same as in 802.1D (STP).
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Table 2: CLI Display of 802.1W Summary (Continued)
Hello The hello value derived from the Root port. It is the number of
seconds between two Hello packets.
Port IEEE 802.1W Parameters
Port Num The port number shown in a slot#/port# format.
Pri The configured priority of the port. The default is 128 or 0x80.
Port Path Cost The configured path cost on a link connected to this port.
P2P Mac Indicates if the point-to-point-mac parameter is configured to be a

point-to-point link:
• T – The link is configured as a point-to-point link.
• F – The link is not configured as a point-to-point link. This is the
default.
Edge port Indicates if the port is configured as an operational Edge port:

• T – The port is configured as an Edge port.
• F – The port is not configured as an Edge port. This is the default.
Role The current role of the port:

• Root
• Designated
• Alternate
• Backup
• Disabled
Refer to “Bridges and Bridge Port Roles” on page 8-23 for definitions
of the roles.
State The port’s current 802.1W state. A port can have one of the following
states:
• Forwarding
• Discarding
• Learning
• Disabled
Refer to “Bridge Port States” on page 8-27 and “Edge Port and Non-
Edge Port States” on page 8-27.
Designated Cost The best root path cost that this port received, including the best root
path cost that it can transmit.
Designated Bridge The ID of the bridge that sent the best RST BPDU that was received
on this port.
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To display detailed information about 802-1W, using the following command:
HP9300(config)#show 802-1w detail
======================================================================
VLAN 1 - MULTIPLE SPANNING TREE (MSTP - IEEE 802.1W) ACTIVE
======================================================================
BridgeId 800000e080541700, forceVersion 2, txHoldCount 3
Port 1 - Role: ROOT - State: FORWARDING
PathCost 200000, Priority 128, AdminOperEdge F, AdminPt2PtMac F
DesignatedPriority - Root: 0x800000e0804c9c00, Bridge: 0x800000e080541700
ActiveTimers - rrWhile 4 rcvdInfoWhile 4
MachineStates - PIM: CURRENT, PRT: ROOT_PORT, PST: FORWARDING
TCM: ACTIVE, PPM: SENDING_STP, PTX: TRANSMIT_IDLE
Received - RST BPDUs 0, Config BPDUs 1017, TCN BPDUs 0
Port 2 - Role: DESIGNATED - State: FORWARDING
PathCost 200000, Priority 128, AdminOperEdge F, AdminPt2PtMac F
DesignatedPriority - Root: 0x800000e0804c9c00, Bridge: 0x800000e080541700
ActiveTimers - helloWhen 0
MachineStates - PIM: CURRENT, PRT: DESIGNATED_PORT, PST: FORWARDING
TCM: ACTIVE, PPM: SENDING_RSTP, PTX: TRANSMIT_IDLE
Received - RST BPDUs 0, Config BPDUs 0, TCN BPDUs 0
Syntax: show 802-1w detail [vlan <vlan-id>]

The vlan <vlan-id> parameter displays 802.1W information for the specified port-based VLAN.
The show spanning-tree 802.1W command shows the following information.
VLAN ID ID of the VLAN that owns the instance of 802.1W and whether or not it
is active.
Bridge ID ID of the bridge.
forceVersion the configured version of the bridge:

• 0 – The bridge has been forced to operate in an STP compatible
mode.
• 2 – The bridge has been forced to operate in an 802.1W mode.
txHoldCount The number of BPDUs that can be transmitted per Hello Interval. The
default is 3.
Port ID of the port in slot#/port# format.
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Role The current role of the port:

• Root
• Designated
• Alternate
• Backup
• Disabled
Refer to “Bridges and Bridge Port Roles” on page 8-23 for definitions
of the roles.
State The port’s current 802.1W state. A port can have one of the following
states:
• Forwarding
• Discarding
• Learning
• Disabled
Refer to “Bridge Port States” on page 8-27 and “Edge Port and Non-
Edge Port States” on page 8-27.
Path Cost The configured path cost on a link connected to this port.
Priority The configured priority of the port. The default is 128 or 0x80.
AdminOperEdge Indicates if the port is an operational Edge port. Edge ports may either
be auto-detected or configured (forced) to be Edge ports using the
CLI:
• T – The port is and Edge port.
• F – The port is not an Edge port. This is the default.
AdminP2PMac Indicates if the point-to-point-mac parameter is configured to be a

point-to-point link:
• T – The link is a point-to-point link
• F – The link is not a point-to-point link. This is the default.
DesignatedPriority Shows the following:

• Root – Shows the ID of the root bridge for this bridge.
• Bridge – Shows the ID of the Designated bridge that is
associated with this port.
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ActiveTimers Shows what timers are currently active on this port and the number of
seconds they have before they expire:
• rrWhile – Recent root timer. A non-zero value means that the port
has recently been a Root port.
• rcvdInfoWhile – Received information timer. Shows the time
remaining before the information held by this port expires (ages
out). This timer is initialized with the effective age parameter.
(See “Max Age” on page 8-54.)
• rbWhile – Recent backup timer. A non-zero value means that the
port has recently been a Backup port.
• helloWhen – Hello period timer. The value shown is the amount
of time between hello messages.
• tcWhile – Topology change timer. The value shown is the interval
when topology change notices can be propagated on this port.
• fdWhile – Forward delay timer. (See the explanation for Fwd Dly
on page 54.)
• mdelayWhile – Migration delay timer. The amount of time that a
bridge on the same LAN has to synchronize its migration state
with this port before another BPDU type can cause this port to
change the BPDU that it transmits.
Machine States The current states of the various state machines on the port:
• PIM – State of the Port Information state machine.
• PRT – State of the Port Role Transition state machine.
• PST – State of the Port State Transition state machine.
• TCM – State of the Topology Change state machine.
• PPM – State of the Port Protocol Migration.
• PTX – State of the Port Transmit state machine.
Refer to the section “State Machines” on page 8-27 for details on
state machines.
Received Shows the number of BPDU types the port has received:
• RST BPDU – BPDU in 802.1W format.
• Config BPDU – Legacy configuration BPDU (802.1D format).
• TCN BPDU – Legacy topology change BPDU (802.1D format).
802.1W Draft 3
As an alternative to full 802.1W, you can configure 802.1W Draft 3. 8021.W Draft 3 provides a subset of the RSTP
capabilities described in the 802.1W STP specification.
8021.W Draft 3 support is disabled by default. When the feature is enabled, if a root port on an HP device that is
not the root bridge becomes unavailable, the device can automatically Routing Switch over to an alternate root
port, without reconvergence delays. 8021.W Draft 3 does not apply to the root bridge, since all the root bridge’s
ports are always in the forwarding state.
Figure 8.24 shows an example of an optimal STP topology. In this topology, all the non-root bridges have at least
two paths to the root bridge (Routing Switch 1 in this example). One of the paths is through the root port. The
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other path is a backup and is through the alternate port. While the root port is in the forwarding state, the alternate
port is in the blocking state.
Figure 8.24 802.1W Draft 3 RSTP ready for failover
The arrow shows the path
to the root bridge

Port 1/2 Port 2/2
FWD FWD
Root Bridge
Bridge priority = 2 Bridge priority = 4
Root port = 2/2
Port 1/4 Port 2/4
Alternate = 2/3, 2/4
FWD FWD
Port 1/3 Port 2/3

FWD FWD
Port 3/3 Port 4/3

FWD BLK
Port 3/4 Port 4/4

BLK FWD
Root port = 3/3 Root port = 4/4
Alternate = 3/4 Alternate = 4/3
If the root port on a Routing Switch becomes unavailable, 8021.W Draft 3 immediately fails over to the alternate
port, as shown in Figure 8.25.
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Figure 8.25 802.1W Draft 3 RSTP failover to alternate root port
The arrow shows the path
to the root bridge

Port 1/2 Port 2/2
FWD FWD
Root Bridge
Port 1/4 Port 2/4 Root port = 2/2
FWD FWD Alternate = 2/3, 2/4
Port 1/3 Port 2/3

DISABLED FWD
Port 3/3 Port 4/3

unavailable BLK
Port 3/4 Port 4/4

FWD FWD
Root port = 3/4 Root port = 4/4
Alternate = 4/3
In this example, port 3/3 on Routing Switch 3 has become unavailable. In standard STP (802.1D), if the root port
becomes unavailable, the Routing Switch must go through the listening and learning stages on the alternate port
to reconverge with the spanning tree. Thus, port 3/4 must go through the listening and learning states before
entering the forwarding state and thus reconverging with the spanning tree.
8021.W Draft 3 avoids the reconvergence delay by calculating an alternate root port, and immediately failing over
to the alternate port if the root port becomes unavailable. The alternate port is in the blocking state as long as the
root port is in the forwarding state, but moves immediately to the active state if the root port becomes unavailable.
Thus, using 8021.W Draft 3, Routing Switch 3 immediately fails over to port 3/4, without the delays caused by the
listening and learning states.
8021.W Draft 3 selects the port with the next-best cost to the root bridge. For example, on Routing Switch 3, port
3/3 has the best cost to the root bridge and thus is selected by STP as the root port. Port 3/4 has the next-best
cost to the root bridge, and thus is selected by 8021.W Draft 3 as the alternate path to the root bridge.
Once a failover occurs, the Routing Switch no longer has an alternate root port. If the port that was an alternate
port but became the root port fails, standard STP is used to reconverge with the network. You can minimize the
reconvergence delay in this case by setting the forwarding delay on the root bridge to a lower value. For example,
if the forwarding delay is set to 15 seconds (the default), change the forwarding delay to a value from 3 – 10
seconds.
During failover, 8021.W Draft 3 flushes the MAC addresses leaned on the unavailable root port, selects the
alternate port as the new root port, and places that port in the forwarding state. If traffic is flowing in both
directions on the new root port, addresses are flushed (moved) in the rest of the spanning tree automatically.
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Reconvergence Time
Spanning tree reconvergence using 8021.W Draft 3 can occur within one second.
After the spanning tree reconverges following the topology change, traffic also must reconverge on all the bridges
attached to the spanning tree. This is true regardless of whether 8021.W Draft 3 or standard STP is used to
reconverge the spanning tree.
Traffic reconvergence happens after the spanning tree reconvergence, and is achieved by flushing the Layer 2
information on the bridges.
• Following 8021.W Draft 3 reconvergence of the spanning tree, traffic reconvergence occurs in the time it
takes for the bridge to detect the link changes plus the STP maximum age set on the bridge.
• If standard STP reconvergence occurs instead, traffic reconvergence takes two times the forward delay plus
the maximum age.
NOTE: 8021.W Draft 3 does not apply when a failed root port comes back up. In this case, standard STP is
used.
Configuration Considerations
8021.W Draft 3 is disabled by default. To ensure optimal performance of the feature before you enable it:
• Configure the bridge priorities so that the root bridge is one that supports 8021.W Draft 3. (Use an HP device
or third-party device that supports 8021.W Draft 3.)
• Change the forwarding delay on the root bridge to a value lower than the default 15 seconds. HP
recommends a value from 3 – 10 seconds. The lower forwarding delay helps reduce reconvergence delays
in cases where 8021.W Draft 3 is not applicable, such as when a failed root port comes back up.
• Configure the bridge priorities and root port costs so that each device has an active path to the root bridge if
its root port becomes unavailable. For example, port 3/4 is connected to port 2/4 on Routing Switch 2, which
has the second most favorable bridge priority in the spanning tree.
NOTE: If reconvergence involves changing the state of a root port on a bridge that supports 802.1D STP but not
8021.W Draft 3, then reconvergence still requires the amount of time it takes for the ports on the 802.1D bridge to
change state to forwarding (as needed), and receive BPDUs from the root bridge for the new topology.
Enabling 8021.W Draft 3

8021.W Draft 3 is disabled by default. The procedure for enabling the feature differs depending on whether single
STP is enabled on the device.
NOTE: STP must be enabled before you can enable 8021.W Draft 3.
Enabling 8021.W Draft 3 When Single STP Is Not Enabled

To enable 8021.W Draft 3 on a device that is not running single STP, use the following CLI method.
USING THE CLI
By default, each port-based VLAN on the device has its own spanning tree. To enable 8021.W Draft 3 in a port-
based VLAN, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config-vlan-10)# spanning-tree rstp
Syntax: [no] spanning-tree rstp

This command enables 8021.W Draft 3. You must enter the command separately in each port-based VLAN in
which you want to run 8021.W Draft 3.
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NOTE: This command does not also enable STP. To enable STP, first enter the spanning-tree command
without the rstp parameter. After you enable STP, enter the spanning-tree rstp command to enable 8021.W
Draft 3.
To disable 8021.W Draft 3, enter the following command:

HP9300(config-vlan-10)# no spanning-tree rstp
Enabling 8021.W Draft 3 When Single STP Is Enabled

To enable 8021.W Draft 3 on a device that is running single STP, enter the following command at the global
CONFIG level of the CLI:
HP9300(config)# spanning-tree single rstp
Syntax: [no] spanning-tree single rstp

This command enables 8021.W Draft 3 on the whole device.
NOTE: This command does not also enable single STP. To enable single STP, first enter the spanning-tree
single command without the rstp parameter. After you enable single STP, enter the spanning-tree single rstp
command to enable 8021.W Draft 3.
To disable 8021.W Draft 3 on a device that is running single STP, enter the following command:
HP9300(config)# no spanning-tree single rstp
Single Spanning Tree (SSTP)

By default, each port-based VLAN on an HP device runs a separate spanning tree, which you can enable or
disable on an individual VLAN basis.
Alternatively, you can configure an HP device to run a single spanning tree across all ports and VLANs on the
device. The Single STP feature (SSTP) is especially useful for connecting an HP device to third-party devices
that run a single spanning tree in accordance with the 802.1q specification.
SSTP uses the same parameters, with the same value ranges and defaults, as the default STP support on HP
devices. See “STP Parameters and Defaults” on page 8-2.
SSTP Defaults
SSTP is disabled by default. When you enable the feature, all VLANs on which STP is enabled become members
of a single spanning tree. All VLANs on which STP is disabled are excluded from the single spanning tree.
• To add a VLAN to the single spanning tree, enable STP on that VLAN.
• To remove a VLAN from the single spanning tree, disable STP on that VLAN.
When you enable SSTP, all the ports that are in port-based VLANs with STP enabled become members of a
single spanning tree domain. Thus, the ports share a single BPDU broadcast domain. The HP device places all
the ports in a non-configurable VLAN, 4094, to implement the SSTP domain. However, this VLAN does not affect
port membership in the port-based VLANs you have configured. Other broadcast traffic is still contained within the
individual port-based VLANs. Therefore, you can use SSTP while still using your existing VLAN configurations
without changing your network. In addition, SSTP does not affect 802.1q tagging. Tagged and untagged ports
alike can be members of the single spanning tree domain.
NOTE: When SSTP is enabled, the BPDUs on tagged ports go out untagged.
If you disable SSTP, all VLANs that were members of the single spanning tree run MSTP instead. In MSTP, each
VLAN has its own spanning tree. VLANs that were not members of the single spanning tree were not enabled for
STP. Therefore, STP remains disabled on those VLANs.
Enabling SSTP
To enable SSTP, use one of the following methods.
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NOTE: If the device has only one port-based VLAN (the default VLAN), then the device is already running a
single instance of STP. In this case, you do not need to enable SSTP. You need to enable SSTP only if the device
contains more than one port-based VLAN and you want all the ports to be in the same STP broadcast domain.
USING THE CLI

To configure the HP device to run a single spanning tree, enter the following command at the global CONFIG
level.
HP9300(config)# spanning-tree single
NOTE: If the device has only one port-based VLAN, the CLI command for enabling SSTP is not listed in the CLI.
The command is listed only if you have configured a port-based VLAN.
To change a global STP parameter, enter a command such as the following at the global CONFIG level:
HP9300(config) spanning-tree single priority 2
This command changes the STP priority for all ports to 2.
To change an STP parameter for a specific port, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config) spanning-tree single ethernet 1/1 priority 10
The commands shown above override the global setting for STP priority and set the priority to 10 for port 1/1.
Here is the syntax for the global STP parameters.
Syntax: [no] spanning-tree single [forward-delay <value>]
[hello-time <value>] | [maximum-age <time>] | [priority <value>]
Here is the syntax for the STP port parameters.
Syntax: [no] spanning-tree single [ethernet <portnum> path-cost <value> | priority <value>]
NOTE: Both commands listed above are entered at the global CONFIG level.

1. Log on to the device using a valid user name and password for read-write access.
2. Click the Single checkbox next to Spanning Tree to place a checkmark in the box.
3. Make sure Enable, not Disable, is selected next to Spanning Tree.
Displaying SSTP information
To verify that SSTP is in effect, enter the following commands at any level of the CLI:
HP9300(config)# show span
Syntax: show span [vlan <vlan-id>] | [pvst-mode] | [<num>] |

[detail [vlan <vlan-id> [ ethernet <portnum> ] | <num>]]
The vlan <vlan-id> parameter displays STP information for the specified port-based VLAN.
The pvst-mode parameter displays STP information for the device’s Per VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST+)
compatibility configuration. See “PVST/PVST+ Compatibility” on page 8-75.
The <num> parameter displays only the entries after the number you specify. For example, on a device with three
port-based VLANs, if you enter 1, then information for the second and third VLANs is displayed, but information for
the first VLAN is not displayed. Information is displayed according to VLAN number, in ascending order. The
entry number is not the same as the VLAN number. For example, if you have port-based VLANs 1, 10, and 2024,
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then the command output has three STP entries. To display information for VLANs 10 and 2024 only, enter show
span 1.
The detail parameter and its additional optional parameters display detailed information for individual ports. See
“Displaying Detailed STP Information for Each Interface” on page 8-14.
dialog is displayed.
2. Click on the Single checkbox next to Spanning Tree to place a checkmark in the box, as shown in the
following example.

SuperSpan
SuperSpan is an HP STP enhancement that allows Service Providers (SPs) to use STP in both SP networks and
customer networks. The SP devices are HP devices and are configured to tunnel each customers' STP BPDUs
through the SP. From the customer's perspective, the SP network is a loop-free non-blocking device or network.
The SP network behaves like a hub in the sense that the necessary blocking occurs in the customer network, not
in the SP.
The HP interfaces that connect the SP to a customer's network are configured as SuperSpan boundary interfaces.
Each SuperSpan boundary interface is configured with a customer ID, to uniquely identify the customer's network
within SuperSpan.
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Figure 8.26 shows an example SuperSpan implementation. In this example, an SP's network is connected to
multiple customers. Each customer network is running its own instance of standard STP. The HP devices in the
SP are running SuperSpan.
Figure 8.26 SuperSpan example
SuperSpan
root bridge
Cust 1 Port 1/1 Port 1/1

SP 1
FWD
BLK Port 1/2

Port 1/2
Port 1/1 Port 2/1

FWD
BLK
SP 2
Cust 2 Port 1/2 Port 2/2
In this example, the SP network contains two devices that are running SuperSpan. The SP is connected to two
customer networks. Each customer network is running its own instance of STP. SuperSpan prevents Layer 2
loops in the traffic flow with each customer while at the same time isolating each customer’s traffic and spanning
tree from the traffic and spanning trees of other customers. For example, the SP devices provide loop prevention
for Customer 1 while ensuring that Customer 1’s traffic is never forwarded to Customer 2. In this example,
customer 1 has two interfaces to the SP network, ports 1/1 and 1/2 connected to SP 1. The SP network behaves
like a non-blocking hub. BPDUs are tunneled through the network. To prevent a Layer 2 loop, customer 1’s port
1/2 enters the blocking state.
Customer ID
SuperSpan uses a SuperSpan customer ID to uniquely identify and forward traffic for each customer. You assign
the customer ID as part of the SuperSpan configuration of the HP devices in the SP. In Figure 8.26, the spanning
trees of customer 1 and customer 2 do not interfere with one another because the SP network isolates each
customer’s spanning tree based on the SuperSpan customer IDs in the traffic.
BPDU Forwarding
When an HP device receives a customer's BPDU on a boundary interface, the device changes the destination
MAC address of the BPDU from the bridge group address (01-80-c2-00-00-00) as follows:
• The first byte (locally administered bit) is changed from 01 to 03, to indicate that the BPDU needs to be
tunneled.
• The fourth and fifth bytes are changed to the customer STP ID specified on the boundary interface.
For example, if the customer's STP ID is 1, the destination MAC address of the customer's BPDUs is changed to
the following: 03-80-c2-00-01-00.
Each HP device that is configured for SuperSpan forwards the BPDU using the changed destination MAC
address. At the other end of the tunnel, the HP device connected to the customer's network changes the
destination MAC address back to the bridge group address (01-80-c2-00-00-00).
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Preforwarding State
To ensure that the customer's network has time to converge at Layer 2 and prevent loops, the HP devices
configured for SuperSpan use a special forwarding state, Preforwarding. The Preforwarding state occurs
between the Learning and Forwarding states and by default lasts for five seconds. During the Preforwarding
state, the HP device forwards tunneled BPDUs from customers only and does not forward data traffic. This
ensures that the customer’s network will detect the Layer 2 loop and block a port. The SP network remains
unblocked. After the Preforwarding state, the HP ports change to the Forwarding state and forward data traffic as
well as BPDUs.
The default length of the Preforwarding state is five seconds. You can change the length of the Preforwarding
state to a value from 3 – 30 seconds.
Figure 8.27 shows an example of how the Preforwarding state is used.
Figure 8.27 SuperSpan Preforwarding state
SuperSpan
root bridge
SP 1
FWD
FWD
Cust 1
FWD
BLK
During Preforwarding state, SP

forwards all tunneled customer SP 2
BPDUs, allowing customer time
to detect the loop and block a port.
In this example, a customer has two links to the SP. Since the SP is running SuperSpan, the SP ports enter the
Preforwarding state briefly to allow the customer ports connected to the SP to detect the Layer 2 loop and block
one of the ports.
NOTE: If you add a new device to a network that is already running SuperSpan, you must enable SuperSpan on
the new device, at least on the VLANs that will be tunneling the customer traffic. Otherwise, the new device does
not use the Preforwarding state. This can cause the wrong ports to be blocked.
Mixing Single STP and Multiple Spanning Trees

You can use SuperSpan in any of the following combinations:
• Customer and SP networks both use multiple spanning trees (a separate spanning tree in each VLAN).
• Customer uses multiple spanning trees but SP uses Single STP (all STP-enabled VLANs are in the same
spanning tree).
• Customer uses Single STP but SP uses multiple spanning trees.
• Customer and SP networks both use Single STP.
The following sections provide an example of each combination.
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NOTE: All the combinations listed above are supported when the boundary ports joining the SP SuperSpan
domain to the client spanning trees are untagged. For example, all these combinations are valid in super
aggregated VLAN configurations. If the boundary ports are tagged, you cannot use Single STP in the client
network in combination with multiple spanning trees in the SP SuperSpan domain.
Customer and SP Use Multiple Spanning Trees

Figure 8.28 shows an example of SuperSpan where both the customer network and the SP network use multiple
spanning trees (a separate spanning tree in each port-based VLAN).
Figure 8.28 Customer and SP using mult iple spanning trees
2/2
R 10 R
100
1/1 2/1
Customer Provider
Region Region
3/1 2/1
R 20 R
200 2/2
tagged to multiple vlan R xx

stp-boundary Root bridge for VLAN xx
untagged to vlan 100
Both the customer and SP regions are running multiple spanning trees (one per port-based VLAN) in the Layer 2
switched network. The customer network contains VLANs 10 and 20 while the SP network contains VLANs 100
and 200. Customer traffic from VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 is aggregated by VLAN 100 in the SP since the boundary
ports, 2/1 on R100 and R200, are untagged members of VLAN 100. By adjusting the bridge priority on VLANs 10
and 20, the customer can select a different root bridge for each spanning tree running in the customer network.
In the above example, STP in VLAN 10 will select R10 as the root bridge and make 1/1 on R10 forwarding while
blocking port 3/1 on R20. The opposite occurs for STP in VLAN 20. As a result, both links connecting the
customer and SP regions are fully utilized and serve as backup links at the same time, providing loop-free, non-
blocking connectivity. In the SP network, multiple STP instances are running (one for VLAN 100 and one for
VLAN 200) to ensure loop-free, non-blocking connectivity in each VLAN.
SuperSPAN boundaries are configured at port 2/1 of R100 and R200. Since the customer’s traffic will be
aggregated into VLAN 100 at the SP, the SP network appears to the customer to be a loop-free non-blocking hub
to the customer network when port 2/2 on R200 is blocked by STP in VLAN 100.
Customer Uses Multiple Spanning Trees But SP Uses Single STP
Figure 8.29 shows an example of SuperSpan where the customer network uses multiple spanning trees while the
SP network uses Single STP.
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Figure 8.29 Customer using multiple spanning trees and SP using Single STP
R 2/2
R 10 single
1/1 span
2/1
Customer Provider
Region Region
3/1 2/1
R 20 2/2

Customer traffic from different VLANs is maintained by different spanning trees, while the SP network is
maintained by a single spanning tree. The SP can still use multiple VLANs at the core to separate traffic from
different customers. However, all VLANs will have the same network topology because they are all calculated by
the single spanning tree. The loop-free, non-blocking network acts like a hub for the customer network, with
boundary ports 2/1 on each device being untagged members of VLAN 100.
Traffic from all VLANs in the customer network will be aggregated through VLAN 100 at the SP. This setup leaves
the customer network’s switching pattern virtually unchanged from the scenario in “Customer and SP Use Multiple
Spanning Trees” on page 8-67, since the SP network still is perceived as a virtual hub, and maintenance of the
hub's loop-free topology is transparent to the customer network.
Customer Uses Single STP But SP Uses Multiple Spanning Trees
Figure 8.30 shows an example of SuperSpan where the customer network uses Single STP while the SP uses
multiple spanning trees.
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Figure 8.30 Customer using Single STP and SP using multiple spanning trees
R
single R 2/2
span 1/1 2/1 100
customer Provider
Region Region
3/1 2/1
R 2/2
200

Root bridge for VLAN xx
stp-boundary
In this setup, the customer network is running a single spanning tree for VLANs 10 and 20. The traffic from VLAN
10 and 20 will be carried, or aggregated by VLAN 100 at the SP’s network. The main difference between this
scenario and the previous tow scenarios is that all traffic at the customer’s network now follows the same path,
having the same STP root bridge in all VLANs. Therefore, the customer network will not have the ability to
maximize network utilization on all its links. On the other hand, loop-free, non-blocking topology is still separately
maintained by the customer network’s single spanning tree and the SP’s per-VLAN spanning tree on VLAN 100.
Customer and SP Use Single STP
Figure 8.31 shows an example of SuperSpan where the customer network and SP both use Single STP.
Figure 8.31 Customer and SP using Single STP
R R 2/2
single single
span 1/1 2/1 span
customer Provider
Region Region
3/1 2/1
2/2

In this setup, both the customer and SP networks are running a single spanning tree at Layer 2. The traffic from
VLAN 10 and 20 will be carried, or aggregated by VLAN 100 at the SP network as in the previous scenario. Loop-
free, non-blocking topology is still separately maintained by the customer's single spanning tree and the SP's
single spanning tree.
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Configuring SuperSpan
To configure an HP device for SuperSpan:
• Configure each interface on the HP device that is connected to customer equipment as a boundary interface.
This step enables the interface to convert the destination MAC address in the customer's BPDUs.
The software requires you to specify a SuperSpan customer ID when configuring the boundary interface.
Use an ID from 1 – 65535. The customer ID uniquely identifies the customer. Use the same customer ID for
each SP interface with the same customer. When tunneling BPDUs through the HP network, the devices use
the customer ID to ensure that BPDUs are forwarded only to the customer's devices, and not to other
customers' devices.
• Globally enable SuperSpan. This step enables the Preforwarding state.
Configuring a Boundary Interface
To configure the boundary interfaces on SP 1 in Figure 8.26 on page 8-65, enter the following commands:
HP9300(config-if-e1000-1/1)# stp-boundary 1
These commands configure two interfaces on the HP device as SuperSpan boundary interfaces. Interface
1/1 is a boundary interface with customer 1. Interface 1/2 is a boundary interface with customer 2. Each
boundary interface is associated with a number, which is the SuperSpan ID. The SuperSpan ID identifies the
instance of SuperSpan you are associating with the interface. Use the same SuperSpan ID for each boundary
interface with the same customer. Use a different SuperSpan ID for each customer. For example, use SuperSpan
ID 1 for all the boundary interfaces with customer 1 and use SuperSpan ID 2 for all boundary interfaces with
customer 2.
Syntax: [no] stp-boundary <num>
The <num> parameter specifies the SuperSpan ID. You can specify a number from 1 – 65535.
To configure the boundary interfaces on SP 2 in Figure 8.26 on page 8-65, enter the following commands:
Enabling SuperSpan
After you configure the SuperSpan boundary interfaces, enable SuperSpan. You can enable SuperSpan globally
or on an individual VLAN level. If you enable the feature globally, the feature is enabled on all VLANs.
NOTE: If you enable the feature globally, then create a new VLAN, the new VLAN inherits the global SuperSpan
state. For example, if SuperSpan is globally enabled when you create a VLAN, SuperSpan also is enabled in the
new VLAN.
You also can change the length of the Preforwarding state to a value from 3 – 30 seconds. The default is 5
seconds.
To globally enable SuperSpan, enter the following command:
HP9300(config)# super-span-global
Syntax: [no] super-span-global [preforward-delay <secs>]

The <secs> parameter specifies the length of the Preforwarding state. You can specify from 3 – 30 seconds. The
default is 5 seconds.
SuperSpan is enabled in all VLANs on the device. To disable SuperSpan in an individual VLAN, enter commands
such as the following:
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HP9300(config-vlan-10)# no super-span
Syntax: [no] super-span

Displaying SuperSpan Information
To display the boundary interface configuration and BPDU statistics, enter the following command:
HP9300(config)# show super-span
CID 1 Boundary Ports:
Port C-BPDU C-BPDU T-BPDU T-BPDU

Rxed Txed Rxed Txed
1/1 1 0 0 0
1/2 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0
CID 2 Boundary Ports:
Port C-BPDU C-BPDU T-BPDU T-BPDU
Rxed Txed Rxed Txed
2/1 0 0 3 0
2/2 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 3 0
In this example, the device has two SuperSpan customer IDs.

Syntax: show superspan [cid <num>]
The cid <num> parameter specifies a SuperSpan customer ID. If you do not specify a customer ID, information
for all the customer IDs configured on the device is shown.
This command shows the following information.
Table 8.7: CLI Display of SuperSpan Customer ID Information
CID The SuperSpan customer ID number.
Port The boundary port number.
C-BPDU Rxed The number of BPDUs received from the client spanning tree.
C-BPDU Txed The number of BPDUs sent to the client spanning tree.
T-BPDU Rxed The number of BPDUs received from the SuperSpan tunnel.
T-BPDU Txed The number of BPDUs sent to the SuperSpan tunnel.
To display general STP information, see “Displaying STP Information” on page 8-8.
STP per VLAN Group

STP per VLAN group is an STP enhancement that provides scalability while overcoming the limitations of the
following scalability alternatives:
• Standard STP – You can configure only 128 instances of standard STP on an HP device. It is possible to
need more instances of STP than this in large configurations. Using STP per VLAN group, you can
aggregate STP instances.
• Single STP – Single STP allows all the VLANs to run STP, but each VLAN runs the same instance of STP,
resulting in numerous blocked ports that do not pass any Layer 2 traffic. STP per VLAN group uses all
available links by load balancing traffic for different instances of STP on different ports. A port that blocks
traffic for one spanning tree forwards traffic for another spanning tree.
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STP per VLAN group allows you to group VLANs and apply the same STP parameter settings to all the VLANs in
the group. Figure 8.32 shows an example of a STP per VLAN group implementation.
Figure 8.32 STP per VLAN Group Example
Member
VLAN 3
STP group 1
Master VLAN 2
Member Member VLAN 3
VLAN 4 Member VLAN 4
STP priority 1
Member STP group 2

VLAN 13 Master VLAN 12
Member VLAN 13
Member VLAN 14
Member STP priority 2
VLAN 14
A master VLAN contains one or more member VLANs. Each of the member VLANs in a master VLAN runs the
same instance of STP and uses the STP parameters configured for the master VLAN. In this example, the HP
device is configured with VLANs 3, 4, 13, and 14. VLANs 3 and 4 are grouped in master VLAN 2, which is in STP
group 1. VLANs 13 and 14 are grouped in master VLAN 12, which is in STP group 2. The VLANs in STP group 1
all share the same spanning tree. The VLANs in STP group 2 share a different spanning tree.
All the ports in the VLANs are tagged. The ports must be tagged so that they can be in both a member VLAN and
the member's master VLAN. For example, ports 1/1 – 1/4 are in member VLAN 3 and also in master VLAN 2
(since master VLAN 2 contains member VLAN 3).
STP Load Balancing
Notice that the STP groups each have different STP priorities. In configurations that use the STP groups on
multiple devices, you can use the STP priorities to load balance the STP traffic. By setting the STP priorities for
the same STP group to different values on each device, you can cause each of the devices to be the root bridge
for a different STP group. This type of configuration distributes the traffic evenly across the devices and also
ensures that ports that are blocked in one STP group’s spanning tree are used by another STP group’s spanning
tree for forwarding. See “Configuration Example for STP Load Sharing” on page 8-74 for an example using STP
load sharing.
Configuring STP per VLAN Group

To configure STP per VLAN group:
• Configure the member VLANs.
• Optionally, configure master VLANs to contain the member VLANs. This is useful when you have a lot of
member VLANs and you do not want to individually configure STP on each one. Each of the member VLANs
in a master VLAN uses the STP settings of the master VLAN.
• Configure the STP groups. Each STP group runs a separate instance of STP.
Here are the CLI commands for implementing the STP per VLAN group configuration shown in Figure 8.32. The
following commands configure the member VLANs (3, 4, 13, and 14) and the master VLANs (2 and 12). Notice
that changes to STP parameters are made in the master VLANs only, not in the member VLANs.
HP9300(config-vlan-2)# tagged ethernet 1/1 ethernet to 1/4
HP9300(config-vlan-2)# vlan 3
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HP9300(config-vlan-14)# exit
The following commands configure the STP groups.

HP9300(config)# stp-group 1
HP9300(config-stp-group-1)# master-vlan 2
HP9300(config-stp-group-1)# member-vlan 3 to 4
HP9300(config-stp-group-1)# exit
HP9300(config-stp-group-2)# member-vlan 13 to 14
Syntax: [no] stp-group <num>

This command changes the CLI to the STP group configuration level. The following commands are valid at this
level. The <num> parameter specifies the STP group ID and can be from 1 – 32.
Syntax: [no] master-vlan <num>
This command adds a master VLAN to the STP group. The master VLAN contains the STP settings for all the
VLANs in the STP per VLAN group. The <num> parameter specifies the VLAN ID. An STP group can contain
one master VLAN.
NOTE: If you delete the master VLAN from an STP group, the software automatically assigns the first member
VLAN in the group to be the new master VLAN for the group.
Syntax: [no] member-vlan <num> [to <num>]

This command adds additional VLANs to the STP group. These VLANs also inherit the STP settings of the
master VLAN in the group.
Syntax: [no] member-group <num>
This command adds a member group (a VLAN group) to the STP group. All the VLANs in the member group
inherit the STP settings of the master VLAN in the group. The <num> parameter specifies the VLAN group ID.
NOTE: This command is optional and is not used in the example above. For an example of this command, see
“Configuration Example for STP Load Sharing”.
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Configuration Example for STP Load Sharing

Figure 8.33 shows another example of a STP per VLAN group implementation.
Figure 8.33 More Complex STP per VLAN Group Example
Member VLANs
2 - 200
Root bridge Root bridge

Member VLANs
for master VLAN 1 for master VLAN 201
202 - 400
Member VLANs FWD 1 BLK 1

402 - 600
5/1
FWD 1
FWD 1 5/3 5/2
Member VLANs
3802 - 4000
BLK 1
Root bridge Root bridge

for master VLAN 401 for master VLAN 3801
In this example, each of the devices in the core is configured with a common set of master VLANs, each of which
contains one or more member VLANs. Each of the member VLANs in a master VLAN runs the same instance of
STP and uses the STP parameters configured for the master VLAN.
The STP group ID identifies the STP instance. All VLANs within an STP group run the same instance of STP. The
master VLAN specifies the bridge STP parameters for the STP group, including the bridge priority. In this
example, each of the devices in the core is configured to be the default root bridge for a different master VLAN.
This configuration ensures that each link can be used for forwarding some traffic. For example, all the ports on the
root bridge for master VLAN 1 are configured to forward BPDUs for master VLAN’s spanning tree. Ports on the
other devices block or forward VLAN 1’s traffic based on STP convergence. All the ports on the root bridge for
VLAN 2 forward VLAN 2’s traffic, and so on.
All the ports in the VLANs are tagged. The ports must be tagged so that they can be in both a member VLAN and
the member's master VLAN. For example, port 1/1 – and ports 5/1, 5/2, and 5/3 are in member VLAN 2 and
master VLAN 1 (since master VLAN a contains member VLAN 2).
Here are the commands for configuring the root bridge for master VLAN 1 in figure Figure 8.32 for STP per VLAN
group. The first group of commands configures the master VLANs. Notice that the STP priority is set to a different
value for each VLAN. In addition, the same VLAN has a different STP priority on each device. This provides load
balancing by making each of the devices a root bridge for a different spanning tree.
HP9300(config-vlan-1)# tag ethernet 1/1 ethernet 5/1 to 5/3
...
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The next group of commands configures VLAN groups for the member VLANs. Notice that the VLAN groups do
not contain the VLAN numbers assigned to the master VLANs. Also notice that no STP parameters are
configured for the groups of member VLANs. Each group of member VLANs will inherit its STP settings from its
master VLAN.
Set the bridge priority for each master VLAN to the highest priority (1) on one of the devices in the STP per VLAN
group configuration. By setting the bridge priority to the highest priority, you make the device the default root
bridge for the spanning tree. To ensure STP load balancing, make each of the devices the default root bridge for
a different master VLAN.
HP9300(config)# vlan-group 1 vlan 2 to 200
HP9300(config-vlan-group-1)# tag ethernet 1/1 ethernet 5/1 to 5/3
HP9300(config-vlan-group-1)# vlan-group 2 vlan 202 to 400
...
HP9300(config-vlan-group-20)# exit
The following group of commands configures the STP groups. Each STP group in this configuration contains one
master VLAN, which contains a VLAN group. This example shows that an STP group also can contain additional
VLANs (VLANs not configured in a VLAN group).
HP9300(config-stp-group-1)# member-group 1
HP9300(config-stp-group-1)# member-vlan 4001 4004 to 4010
HP9300(config-stp-group-1)# stp-group 2
HP9300(config-stp-group-2)# member-vlan 4002 4003 4011 to 4015
...
PVST/PVST+ Compatibility
The following sections describe the Per VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST) and PVST+ compatibility features on HP
devices. Use the section that matches the software release you are using:
• For release 07.6.04 and later, see “PVST/PVST+ Compatibility – 07.6.04 and Later”.
• For releases 07.1.10 – 07.6.00, see “PVST/PVST+ Compatibility – Earlier Than 07.6.01b” on page 8-81.
PVST/PVST+ Compatibility – 07.6.04 and Later

Software release 07.6.04 enhances HP support for Cisco's Per VLAN Spanning Tree plus (PVST+), by allowing
an HP device to run multiple spanning trees (MSTP) while also interoperating with IEEE 802.1Q devices1.
1.Cisco user documentation for PVST/PVST+ refers to the IEEE 802.1Q spanning tree as the Common
Spanning Tree (CST).
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Previous releases allow an HP device to interoperate with IEEE 802.1Q devices only when the HP device is
configured for Single STP (SSTP). In this case, the HP device is operating as an IEEE 802.1Q device but cannot
run multiple spanning trees. The current release and previous releases allow the HP device to interoperate with
PVST when the HP device is configured for MSTP.
NOTE: HP ports automatically detect PVST+ BPDUs and enable support for the BPDUs once detected. You do
not need to perform any configuration steps to enable PVST+ support. However, to support the IEEE 802.1Q
BPDUs, you might need to enable dual-mode support.
HP’s support for Cisco's Per VLAN Spanning Tree plus (PVST+), allows an HP device to run multiple spanning
trees (MSTP) while also interoperating with IEEE 802.1Q devices. HP ports automatically detect PVST+ BPDUs
and enable support for the BPDUs once detected. The enhancement allows a port that is in PVST+ compatibility
mode due to auto-detection to revert to the default MSTP mode when one of the following events occurs:
• The link is disconnected or broken
• The link is administratively disabled
• The link is disabled by interaction with the link-keepalive protocol
This enhancement allows a port that was originally interoperating with PVST+ to revert to MSTP when connected
to an HP device.
Overview of PVST and PVST+

Per VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST) is a Cisco proprietary protocol that allows a Cisco device to have multiple
spanning trees. The Cisco device can interoperate with spanning trees on other PVST devices but cannot
interoperate with IEEE 802.1Q devices. An IEEE 802.1Q device has all its ports running a single spanning tree.
PVST+ is an extension of PVST that allows a Cisco device to also interoperate with devices that are running a
single spanning tree (IEEE 802.1Q).
The enhanced PVST+ support in release 07.6.04 allows an HP device to interoperate with PVST spanning trees
and the IEEE 802.1Q spanning tree at the same time.
IEEE 802.1Q and PVST regions cannot interoperate directly but can interoperate indirectly through PVST+
regions. PVST BPDUs are tunneled through 802.1Q regions, while PVST BPDUs for VLAN 1 (the IEEE 802.1Q
VLAN) are processed by PVST+ regions. Figure 8.34 shows the interaction of IEEE 802.1Q, PVST, and PVST+
regions.
8 - 76
Figure 8.34 Interaction of IEEE 802.1Q, PVST, and PVST+ regions
PVST BPDUs tunneled through

the IEEE 802.1Q region
802.1D BPDUs 802.1D BPDUs
PVST+ Region dual mode

IEEE 802.1Q Region dual mode
PVST+ Region
port port
Do not
connect
PVST BPDUs PVST BPDUs

(over ISL trunks) (over ISL trunks)
PVST Region
VLAN Tags and Dual Mode

To support the IEEE 802.1Q (Common Spanning Tree) portion of PVST+, a port must be a member of VLAN 1.
Cisco devices always use VLAN 1 to support the IEEE 802.1Q portion of PVST+.
For the port to also support the other VLANs (the PVST+ VLANs) in tagged mode, the dual-mode feature must be
enabled on the port. The dual-mode feature enables the port to send and receive both tagged and untagged
frames. When the dual-mode feature is enabled, the port is an untagged member of one of its VLANs and is at
the same time a tagged member of all its other VLANs.
The untagged frames are supported on the port’s Port Native VLAN. By default, the Port Native VLAN is the
same as the device’s Default VLAN1, which by default is VLAN 1. Thus, to support IEEE 802.1Q in a typical
configuration, the port must be able to send and receive untagged frames for VLAN 1 and tagged frames for the
other VLANs.
If you want to use tagged frames on VLAN 1, you can change the default VLAN ID to an ID other than 1. You also
can specify the VLAN on which you want the port to send and receive untagged frames (the Port Native VLAN).
The Port Native VLAN ID does not need to be the same as the Default VLAN.
NOTE: Support for the IEEE 802.1Q spanning tree always uses VLAN 1, regardless of whether the devices are
configured to use tagged or untagged frames on the VLAN.
Configuring PVST+ Support

PVST+ support is automatically enabled when the port receives a PVST BPDU. You can manually enable the
support at any time or disable the support if desired.
If you want a tagged port to also support IEEE 802.1Q BPDUs, you need to enable the dual-mode feature on the
port. The dual-mode feature is disabled by default and must be enabled manually.
Starting with release 07.6.04, a port that is in PVST+ compatibility mode due to auto-detection reverts to the
default MSTP mode when one of the following events occurs:
1.Cisco PVST/PVST+ documentation refers to the Default VLAN as the Default Native VLAN.
8 - 77
• The link is disconnected or broken

• The link is administratively disabled
• The link is disabled by interaction with the link-keepalive protocol
This allows a port that was originally interoperating with PVST+ to revert to MSTP when connected to an HP
device.
Enabling PVST+ Support Manually
To immediately enable PVST+ support on a port, enter commands such as the following:
HP9300(config)# interface ethernet 1/1
HP9300(config-if-1/1)# pvst-mode
Syntax: [no] pvst-mode
NOTE: If you disable PVST+ support, the software still automatically enables PVST+ support if the port receives
a BPDU with PVST+ format.
Enabling Dual-Mode Support

To enable the dual-mode feature on a port, enter the following command at the interface configuration level for the
port:
HP9300(config-if-1/1)# dual-mode
Syntax: [no] dual-mode [<vlan-id>]

The <vlan-id> specifies the port’s Port Native VLAN. This is the VLAN on which the port will support untagged
frames. By default, the Port Native VLAN is the same as the default VLAN (which is VLAN 1 by default).
For more information about the dual-mode feature, see “Dual-Mode VLAN Ports” on page 11-54.
Displaying PVST+ Support Information

To display PVST+ information for ports on an HP device, enter the following command at any level of the CLI:
HP9300(config)# show span pvst-mode
PVST+ Enabled on:
Port Method
1/1 Set by configuration
2/10 Set by auto-detect
4/24 Set by auto-detect
Syntax: show span pvst-mode
NOTE: This command is present in earlier releases but the output format has been changed to reflect the feature
enhancements.
This command displays the following information.
Table 35: CLI Display of PVST+ Information
Port The HP port number.

Note: The command lists information only for the ports on which
PVST+ support is enabled.
8 - 78
Table 35: CLI Display of PVST+ Information (Continued)
Method The method by which PVST+ support was enabled on the port. The
method can be one of the following:
• Set by configuration – You enabled the support.
• Set by auto-detect – The support was enabled automatically
when the port received a PVST+ BPDU.
Configuration Examples
The following examples show configuration examples for two common configurations:
• Untagged IEEE 802.1Q BPDUs on VLAN 1 and tagged PVST+ BPDUs on other VLANs
• Tagged IEEE 802.1Q BPDUs on VLAN 1 and untagged BPDUs on another VLAN
Tagged Port Using Default VLAN 1 as its Port Native VLAN
Figure 8.36 shows an example of a PVST+ configuration that uses VLAN 1 as the untagged default VLAN and
VLANs 2, 3, and 4 as tagged VLANs.
Figure 8.36 Default VLAN 1 for untagged BPDUs
Untagged IEEE BPDU for VLAN 1

Untagged PVST BPDU for VLAN 1
Tagged PVST BPDUs for VLANs 2, 3, 4
Cisco
device
Port 1/1 Port 3/2
To implement this configuration, enter the following commands.

Commands on the HP Device
HP9300(config)# vlan-group 1 vlan 2 to 4
HP9300(config-vlan-group-1)# tagged ethernet 1/1
HP9300(config-vlan-group-1)# exit
These commands configure a VLAN group containing VLANs 2, 3, and 4, add port 1/1 as a tagged port to the
VLANs, and enable the dual-mode feature and PVST+ support on the port. The dual-mode feature allows the port
to send and receive untagged frames for the default VLAN (VLAN 1 in this case) in addition to tagged frames for
VLANs 2, 3, and 4. Enabling the PVST+ support ensures that the port is ready to send and receive PVST+
BPDUs. If you do not manually enable PVST+ support, the support is not enabled until the port receives a PVST+
BPDU.
The configuration leaves the default VLAN and the port’s Port Native VLAN unchanged. The default VLAN is 1
and the port’s Port Native VLAN also is 1. The dual-mode feature supports untagged frames on the default VLAN
only. Thus, port 1/1 can send and receive untagged BPDUs for VLAN 1 and can send and receive tagged BPDUs
for the other VLANs.
Port 1/1 will process BPDUs as follows:
• Process IEEE 802.1Q BPDUs for VLAN 1.
• Process tagged PVST BPDUs for VLANs 2, 3, and 4.
• Drop untagged PVST BPDUs for VLAN 1.
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Untagged Port Using VLAN 2 as Port Native VLAN

Figure 8.37 shows an example in which a port’s Port Native VLAN is not VLAN 1. In this case, VLAN 1 uses
tagged frames and VLAN 2 uses untagged frames.
Figure 8.37 Port Native VLAN 2 for untagged BPDUs
Untagged IEEE BPDU for VLAN 1

Tagged PVST BPDU for VLAN 1
Untagged PVST BPDU for VLAN 2
Cisco
device
Port 1/1 Port 3/2
To implement this configuration, enter the following commands.

Commands on the HP Device
HP9300(config)# default-vlan-id 4000
HP9300(config-vlan-1)# tagged ethernet 1/1
HP9300(config-vlan-2)# tagged ethernet 1/1
HP9300(config-if-1/1)# dual-mode 2
HP9300(config-if-1/1)# exit
These commands change the default VLAN ID, configure port 1/1 as a tagged member of VLANs 1 and 2, and
enable the dual-mode feature and PVST+ support on port 1/1. Since VLAN 1 is tagged in this configuration, the
default VLAN ID must be changed from VLAN 1 to another VLAN ID. Changing the default VLAN ID from 1 allows
the port to process tagged frames for VLAN 1. VLAN 2 is specified with the dual-mode command, which makes
VLAN 2 the port’s Port Native VLAN. As a result, the port processes untagged frames and untagged PVST
BPDUs on VLAN 2.
NOTE: Although VLAN 2 becomes the port’s untagged VLAN, the CLI still requires that you add the port to the
VLAN as a tagged port, since the port is a member of more than one VLAN.
Port 1/1 will process BPDUs as follows:

• Process IEEE 802.1Q BPDUs for VLAN 1.
• Process untagged PVST BPDUs for VLAN 2.
• Drop tagged PVST BPDUs for VLAN 1.
Note that when VLAN 1 is not the default VLAN, the ports must have the dual-mode featured enabled in order to
process IEEE 802.1Q BPDUs.
For example, the following configuration is incorrect:
HP9300(config-vlan-1)# tagged ethernet 1/1 to 1/2
8 - 80
In the configuration above, all PVST BPDUs associated with VLAN 1 would be discarded. Since IEEE BPDUs
associated with VLAN 1 are untagged, they are discarded because the ports in VLAN 1 are tagged. Effectively,
the BPDUs are never processed by the Spanning Tree Protocol. STP assumes that there is no better bridge on
the network and sets the ports to FORWARDING. This could cause a Layer 2 loop.
The following configuration is correct:
HP9300(config-vlan-1)# tagged ethernet 1/1 to 1/2
Setting the ports as dual-mode ensures that the untagged IEEE 802.1Q BPDUs reach the VLAN 1 instance.
PVST/PVST+ Compatibility – Earlier Than 07.6.01b

HP devices that are configured to support a separate spanning tree in each port-based VLAN can interoperate
with Cisco devices that are running Per VLAN Spanning Tree (PVST) or PVST+, Cisco proprietary STP
implementations that support separate spanning trees in each port-based VLAN.
An HP device configured to run a separate spanning tree in each port-based VLAN automatically enables PVST/
PVST+ support on a port if that port receives an STP BPDU with PVST/PVST+ format. You also can enable
PVST/PVST+ support statically as well as display PVST/PVST+ information for each port.
The information in this section is for reference. If you are running PVST/PVST+ on the Cisco devices and the
default support for separate spanning trees in each VLAN on the HP devices, then no configuration is necessary
for the devices to share spanning tree information.
NOTE: If you plan to use the PVST/PVST+ support, do not use VLAN 1. PVST+ uses VLAN 1 as a single STP
broadcast domain and thus uses a different BPDU format than for other VLANs.
PVST
Each spanning tree (that is, each instance of STP) has one device called the root bridge. The root bridge is the
control point for the spanning tree, and sends STP status and topology change information to the other devices in
the spanning tree by sending BPDUs to the other devices. The other devices forward the BPDUs as needed.
The format of an STP BPDU differs depending on whether it is a Cisco PVST BPDU or an HP BPDU. HP and
Cisco devices also can support single STP BPDUs, which use another format.
• An HP device configured with a separate spanning tree in each VLAN sends BPDUs in standard IEEE
802.1D format, but includes a proprietary four-byte tag. The tag identifies the VLAN the BPDU is for.
• A Cisco device configured for PVST sends the BPDUs to multicast MAC address 01-00-0C-CC-CC-CD. If
the device is configured for PVST+, then the device sends BPDUs for all VLANs except VLAN 1 to 01-00-0C-
CC-CC-CD. The device sends BPDUs in VLAN 1 to 01-80-C2-00-00-00, the single STP address (see below
and “PVST+”).
• An HP device configured for single STP (IEEE 802.1Q) sends untagged BPDUs to the well-known STP MAC
address 01-80-C2-00-00-00.
NOTE: Cisco devices can be configured to interoperate with devices that support IEEE 802.1Q single STP, but
the devices cannot be configured to run single STP.
8 - 81
HP’s PVST support enables HP and Cisco devices that have separate spanning trees in each VLAN to
interoperate. The HP PVST support is automatically enabled when a port receives a PVST BPDU and does not
require configuration on the HP or Cisco device.
When PVST is enabled on an HP port, that port sends BPDUs in PVST format instead of HP’s spanning tree
format.
PVST+
HP devices and Cisco devices support separate spanning trees on an individual port-based VLAN basis.
However, until the IEEE standard for multiple spanning trees is finalized, vendors are using different methods to
support multiple spanning trees within their own products. PVST+ is an extension to PVST that enables a Cisco
device to interoperate with other devices that are running a single spanning tree (IEEE 802.1Q) while still running
a separate spanning tree in each VLAN.
PVST+ uses 802.1Q single STP BPDUs on VLAN 1 and PVST BPDUs (which have a proprietary format) for other
VLANs. In this case, the Cisco device uses devices running 802.1Q as tunnels for PVST (non-802.1Q) traffic.
The 802.1Q single STP BPDUs are addressed to the well-known STP MAC address 01-80-C2-00-00-00. The
PVST BPDUs for the other VLANs are addressed to multicast address 01-00-0C-CC-CC-CD.
The PVST+ method can require manual configuration of STP parameters on the 802.1Q devices to ensure that
traffic for the PVST VLANs is not blocked. In addition, the opportunities to adjust STP parameters to load balance
traffic on a VLAN basis are limited when using PVST+.
Using HP Single STP with Cisco PVST+
Since HP’s single STP feature complies with IEEE 802.1Q (the single STP specification), you also can use an HP
device running single STP to interoperate with a Cisco device running PVST+. When you enable single STP on
an HP device, the PVST compatibility feature is not enabled, even if a port receives a PVST BPDU.
Enabling PVST/PVST+ Statically

PVST/PVST+ support is automatically enabled on a port if the port receives a BPDU in PVST/PVST+ format.
However, you can statically enable PVST/PVST+ support on a port if desired. In this case, the support is enabled
immediately and support for HP tagged BPDUs is disabled at the same time. To enable the PVST/PVST+
support, use the following CLI method.
NOTE: When PVST/PVST+ support is enabled on a port, support for HP BPDUs is disabled.
USING THE CLI

To enable PVST/PVST+ support on a port, enter commands such as the following:
Syntax: [no] pvst-mode
NOTE: If you disable PVST/PVST+ support, the software still automatically enables PVST/PVST+ support if the
port receives an STP BPDU with PVST/PVST+ format.

You cannot enable PVST support using the Web management interface.
Displaying PVST Information

To display PVST information, use the following CLI method.
USING THE CLI
To display PVST information for ports on an HP device, enter the following command at any level of the CLI:
HP9300(config)# show span pvst-mode
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VLAN Port PVST PVST

ID Num. Cfg. On(by cfg. or detect)
200 10 0 1
200 11 1 1
This example shows that for VLAN 200, PVST support is statically enabled on port 11. PVST is not statically
enabled on Port 10, but because port 10 received an incoming PVST BPDU on its interface, the port converted to
using PVST mode.
Syntax: show span pvst-mode
The show span pvst-mode command displays the following information.
Table 8.8: CLI Display of PVST Information
VLAN ID The VLAN to which the PVST/PVST+ information applies.
Port Num. The HP port number.
PVST cfg. Whether PVST support is statically enabled on the port. The value
can be one of the following:
• 0 – The support has not been statically enabled.
• 1 – The support has been statically enabled.
PVST on (by cfg. or detect) Whether PVST/PVST+ support is active on the port. The value can
be one of the following:
• 0 – PVST/PVST+ support is not enabled.
• 1 – PVST/PVST+ support is enabled, either because you
statically enabled the support or because the port received an
STP BPDU with PVST/PVST+ format.

You cannot display PVST information using the Web management interface.
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Configuring Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Advanced STP Features

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Chapter 8

Configuring Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

and Advanced STP Features

Configuring Standard STP Parameters

STP Parameters and Defaults

Table 8.1: Default STP States

Default STP Type Default STP State Default STP State

MSTP Disabled Disabled

a.When you create a port-based VLAN, the new VLAN’s

Table 8.2: Default STP Bridge Parameters

Parameter Description Default and Valid Values

Priority A parameter used to identify the root bridge in a 32768

2 * (forward_delay -1) >= max_age

max_age >= 2 * (hello_time +1 )

Table 8.3: Default STP Port Parameters

Parameter Description Default and Valid Values

Enabling or Disabling the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

Enabling or Disabling STP Globally

USING THE CLI

3. Click Apply to save the changes to the device’s running-config file.

Syntax: [no] spanning-tree

USING THE CLI

Syntax: [no] spanning-tree

Changing STP Bridge and Port Parameters

2 * (forward_delay -1) >= max_age

max_age >= 2 * (hello_time +1 )

USING THE CLI

HP9300(config)# spanning-tree priority 0

HP9300(config-vlan-20)# spanning-tree priority 0

HP9300(config-vlan-1)# spanning-tree priority 0

5. Modify the bridge STP parameters to the values desired.

HP9300(config-vlan-10)# spanning-tree ethernet 1/5 path-cost 15 priority 64

The ethernet <portnum> parameter specifies the interface.

The default depends on the port type:

Displaying STP Information

Displaying STP Information for an Entire Device

HP9300# show span

VLAN 1 BPDU cam_index is 3 and the Master DMA Are(HEX)

STP instance owned by VLAN 1

Global STP (IEEE 802.1D) Parameters:

ID ID Cost Port rity Age llo ld dly Chang cnt Address

Hex sec sec sec sec sec

1 800000e0804d4a00 0 Root 8000 20 2 1 15 689 1 00e0804d4a00

Port STP Parameters:

Port Prio Path State Fwd Design

Num rity Cost Trans Cost

<lines for remaining ports excluded for brevity>

Syntax: show span [vlan <vlan-id>] | [pvst-mode] | [<num>] |

Table 8.4: CLI Display of STP Information

This Field... Displays...

Global STP Parameters

Bridge Address The STP address of this device or VLAN.

Port STP Parameters

Port Num The port number.

Priority Hex The port’s STP priority, in hexadecimal format.

Path Cost The port’s STP path cost.

Table 8.4: CLI Display of STP Information (Continued)

This Field... Displays...

USING THE WEB MANAGEMENT INTERFACE

Table 8.5: Web Management Display of STP Information

This Field... Displays...

STP Bridge Parameters (global parameters)

Priority This device or VLAN’s STP priority. The value is shown in